Disgusting School Lunch Photos Cause Outrage among Parents

A Facebook post recently called out a school cafeteria for serving students "disgusting" food that has been labeled "mystery meat." Many parents shared their outrage online.

Photos from a New Jersey school led to uproar from parents because of the food served to students. Darcell Medley-Stokes shared images of the meals her kids were receiving from the Paterson International High School cafeteria.

Superintendent Eileen Shafer expressed: "Would you serve this to your children? If the answer is 'no,' then why serve it to our children?" The mother's photos have caused other parents to confront the school's board.

WILL NOT BE TOLERATED

Parents wanted to know why this standard of food was allowed to be served to kids daily. The Paterson Press reported that this will not be "tolerated" because children "deserve a nutritious meal."

School board member Vincent Arrington pointed out that these meals were the only warm meal many children got throughout their day. District food service employees are believed to have visited the school.

THE FOOD IS "DISGUSTING"

They ruled the school's meals both "improperly cooked and served." In response to this, a spokesperson stated that the school's cafeteria employees were "retrained." Many parents called the food "disgusting."

Paterson Board of Education President Kenneth Simmons agreed that he would certainly not serve his own child a meal that looked like the food in the photo. Simmons added that the district's "$5 million food services program" needed to be altered.

COMMENTS FROM FOOD VENDOR

Simmons said: "It may cost us more money, but I don't think finances is something that needs to be the key factor." A spokesperson on behalf of the school's food vendor ChartwellsK12 commented on the matter.

They stated that they acknowledge there have been "a few instances" in which they did not meet the expected standard. They purported that each issue has been investigated because they take the health of students seriously.

THE ONLINE REACTION

Despite these comments, Medley-Stokes' post reflects users continued upset over the matter. Paired with shocked emojis, one netizen wrote: They were supposed to eat that? Awww, man, that's bad." Someone else simply said: "That is horrible!"

Online community members recalled their own cafeteria experiences, and one user said school lunches have "taken a dive in recent years." The user also expressed: "I have no idea how anyone can feed that to kids and think it's okay."

KIDS MAKE THEIR OWN MEALS

Users indicated that the meals looked like something that was served in prison. In the post, Medley-Stokes put forward that her kids have taken it upon themselves to make their own meals.

They simply cannot stomach the "disgusting" food they are given at school. Netizens stated that this was wrong. One person expressed: "This makes me feel horrible being that my daughter had to go hungry because she refused to eat this."