This mother didn’t think much of the thing on her son’s arm when he saw it for the first time. However, when she discovered why it was given to him, she started to see red. Needless to say, not only was the truth wrong, but it was also bothersome. She simply couldn’t believe that the school would put her boy to shame in this way. She took a picture and posted it online after pulling up the sleeve of her son’s shirt. It was time to pay for the individual behind this for what they did to her baby.
Her Son Came Home From School With A Mark On His Arm So This Concerned Mother Raised Hell
She Did Her Research
When she selected a school for her son, Tara Chavez put a lot of thought into it. She enrolled him at Desert Cove Elementary School after testing out what their neighborhood in Phoenix had to offer. Before finally getting to this choice, there were several things that she was taken into consideration. This is not a light call to make, simply put.
She Did Her Research
Well-Being Of A Young Boy
For one thing, comparing the class size and value for money of the schools was essential to her. However, in the end, hardly anything mattered more than her child’s well-being. She knew that her little boy was sensitive, so ensuring that he would feel safe in a new environment was her top priority.
Well-Being Of A Young Boy
The School Sounded Perfect
Tara visited the campus on open days when it was held. She was thinking that her son would have a good time at Desert Cove Elementary School based on what she saw. She saw no reason whatsoever to make him not go there.
The School Sounded Perfect
Controversy
She had no clue that for her child, this wasn’t the right choice. She hated this decision in the end. It didn’t even occur to her at all that controversy would take place involving her son. Their fellow parents also stood their ground when she spoke about it on a public platform.
Controversy
Everything Was Going Well
Her child was able to complete an entire school term without even a challenge. Not just that, but at school as well, he did fantastically. This made his parents think that enrolling him here was the best move.
Everything Was Going Well
School Ethos
There was an ethos in the school that resonated with this student’s parents. They did think they were finally going to find the best school for that young child. Not only that, but his teachers liked him as well. They found out soon enough that they were wrong about this educational institution.
School Ethos
He Went Home Upset
When the story began, it was just another school day. Cayden was picked up by Tara from school. As quickly as she saw him, she could tell that something was troubling her son. She had no clue what the issue might be, however.
He Went Home Upset
Bad Behavior
The first thing she was thinking about was that he was being bullied by the other students. Maybe the teacher was also a bully! She felt anxious. After all, this type of thing can be distressing for someone who is so young.
Bad Behavior
Concerned Mom
She was in a position to find her composure. This concerned parent even attempted to enhance her mood with all sorts of stuff. She asked him how his day was going, among other things. She was a loving parent who was planning on getting to the bottom of things.
Concerned Mom
The Mark On His Arm
Cayden plainly looked out of the window, that being said, and responded brusquely, “Fine.” Tara tried something different and kept asking him if everything at school was okay. However, the small boy did not give her anything more than a deadpan reply. It was quite evident that he was not prepared to talk about what bothered him.
The Mark On His Arm
Driving Home
In the meantime, Tara decided to give him some space. As soon as they got home, they could talk about this. She saw that his arm had a blue mark on it while she was thinking about this. What might that be?
Driving Home
He Was Branded
In order to have a better glance at this mark, she leaned in. She claimed it’s nothing more than dirt initially. She came to know, however, that when she looked more closely at it, it was not the scenario.
He Was Branded
What Did It Read?
To her, it really was completely obvious that this played a role in how frustrated Cayden was. It still didn’t make any sense to her, nevertheless. What story was behind that mark? In the end, mothers know best, really.
What Did It Read?
She Feared The Worst
Tara now had some sort of clue. Still, she didn’t roast him about that. Until they got back home, she tried to give him the space he required. She deemed it necessary to pay attention to the road as she was driving, amongst other things.
She Feared The Worst
Angry As A Raging Bull
For now, while she left him alone, the reality of the situation was that Tara was very firmly gripping the steering wheel. She was furious, but she didn’t want Cayden to see how furious she was at all. This should be sufficient, at any rate, to tell you that whoever did this would pay for trying to mess with her little boy!
Angry As A Raging Bull
They Held A Family Meeting
The young boy tried to go to his room right away when they arrived home. Without explaining what happened at school, however, Tara did not let him leave. She called his father, pulled out a chair, and decided to tell Cayden to sit down and talk about all this.
They Held A Family Meeting
Perhaps It Was A Bruise
Mark raised the shirt sleeve that Cayden was wearing. Whatever it was that was on his arm, he would want to see it. They assumed the mark was just a bruise at first. It really was, in reality, just ink! Did their son write on an arm of his own? Mark came to realize, however, after seeing what it said, that wasn’t the case.
Perhaps It Was A Bruise
Written In Capital Letters
The mark on his arm contained two words. It was written in thick blue ink with the words “LUNCH MONEY.” But why was it that he had this mark? And who has done this to him? It was bizarre to see anything like that.
Written In Capital Letters
The Lunch Lady
Cayden clarified that the lunch lady gave the stamp to him. It looked like she was publicly humiliating him in front of the rest of the student body when you asked Mark and Tara. As they heard him talk about his experience some more, they got more furious.
The Lunch Lady
He Had No Choice
“I asked if he was given a choice by the lunch lady, and he said, ‘No, she just grabbed my wrist and put the stamp on,’” Tara told during an interview. It made her sad to reckon that there was such a thing for her son to go through.
He Had No Choice
Social Media
While Cayden had just enough cash that day to pay for food, his lunch cash account had been running low. She only grew even angrier after Tara checked it online. It started to turn out he still had about 75 cents! Mark took a picture of his work with the words and took it to the internet to post it.
Social Media
They Humiliated The Poor Boy
“The entire time, he was crying and screaming.,” Tara shared. She continued, “He was humiliated, didn’t even want me to take a picture of it.” No one deserves to feel that way if you ask us, particularly not some little boy who has done nothing wrong!
They Humiliated The Poor Boy
Major Disaster
We are certain that Cayden felt awful about this. It must also have given his self-esteem a blow. Generally, the school sent parents a notification if the lunch money account for their child was running low. But was the school really at fault because they did this?
Major Disaster
It Went Viral
The post began to be viral on social media platforms. This is not something we are shocked to know! This is the digital age, simply put. The story gained hundreds of comments and shares pretty quickly.
It Went Viral
Twitterverse
The way Mark and Tara handled the situation, many parents agreed. They said that after what Cayden ended up going through, it was justified for them to respond like that. A friend of hers said, “Like, y’all couldn’t send a note?”
Twitterverse
Comments Kept Coming
Another friend chimed in by stating that, “Y’all couldn’t think for two seconds about the numerous references of branding someone as a stigma?” We do not know about you, but this is a good point.
Comments Kept Coming
Other Kids With Similar Experiences
“What kind of twisted person holds a child’s arm & applies a big, block-lettered stamp in black ink to their little arm?!!” asked another netizen. A lot of people heard the tale and had nothing to say more than it was “unacceptable.”
Other Kids With Similar Experiences
Loads Of Notifications
This parent may not have been connected with the family or school, but he still felt so angry. The post read, “If a kid’s parents don’t have any money to deposit to the child’s account … do they just keep stamping the child every day? Seriously.”
Loads Of Notifications
The School Responds
But what was it that the school had to say about the issue? They decided to send Tara an email when her post got more popular. Let us find out what she was told by them. For an apology, we are keeping our fingers crossed!
The School Responds
They Denied The Claims
The Desert Cove Elementary School principal’s name is Stacey Orest. According to her, with “reminder stamps,” the staff did not try to embarrass the students. She also informed Tara that the cafeteria staff “are supposed to ask them if they want a stamp or a reminder slip.”
They Denied The Claims
Unhappy Parents’
Tara didn’t really feel completely comfortable with the school’s justification she did receive. Her fellow parents wanted to prohibit the use of such “reminder” stamps as a result. Why did the school even think the idea was a good one?
Unhappy Parents’
The Official Statement
The school district issued an official statement the following Monday about what had happened. Becky Kelbaugh is the spokeswoman for the Paradise Valley Unified School District. “It was never the intention of Desert Cove Elementary School administration and staff to embarrass any student by using the stamp,” she said.
The Official Statement
It Was Not The First Time
“Students were given a choice between a letter or reminder stamp. Going forward, Desert Cove Elementary School will send a letter home notifying parents of low lunch balances,” she continued.
It Was Not The First Time
Phoenix New Times
In addition, she also informed the Phoenix New Times that “reminder stamps” would no longer be used by Desert Cove Elementary School. This is certainly great news! While this is awesome, this isn’t the only place this has happened. There are many more schools, in reality, that follow the same obsolete policy.
Phoenix New Times
It Made His Blood Boil
The father of a third-grader who attends Gardendale Elementary School is Jon Bivens. Like Cayden, at his own school, his child went through a similar situation. He started to notice there was a mark on his little boy’s arm. Let us discover what course of action he has opted to take…
It Made His Blood Boil
Surprised
Initially, Jon said that it was nothing important. As a matter of fact, he thought it was a great idea. “I thought it was a good job stamp,” he said. However, seeing what the stamp said: “I need lunch money,” he was proven to be wrong. This came as a shock because instead of that, he was normally notified.
Surprised
No Justification For This
In general, Jon and his wife gave their son school lunches on a regular basis. He was allowed to purchase the occasional treat from the lunchroom, however. When he did learn a certain thing about what had happened at school, he became even angrier.
No Justification For This
Not Acceptable
It was weird because when he was stamped, there’s still some cash in the account. At the moment, he still had $1.38 in cash for his lunch. As you can see, there was no good reason for the school to mark him out.
Screenshot 17
The Ethics Of This Practice
“They herd these kids like cattle,” he explained. As he talked about it, he said that the school “branded” his son. “When you start stamping a message on a child’s body instead of calling…it’s just not okay.”
The Ethics Of This Practice
Bullying
“It’s a form of bullying and shaming the kids,” he went on to explain this in the interview as he chatted about it. What do you think of this “branding” strategy implemented by certain school cafeterias? Should it be permitted or strongly discouraged?
Bullying
Greatly Humiliating
Fun fact: a pretty affluent school is Desert Cove Elementary School. There are students who meet the criteria for reduced or free lunches, but no more than 32% of the student body is made up of them. With this in mind, we can imagine just how humiliating it might be for your low lunch money account to be singled out.
Greatly Humiliating
‘Lunch Shaming’
This is also not the only major worry we have. “Shaming lunch” could also make students entirely skip meals to avoid embarrassment! This, in turn, could hurt their school performance and make kids more likely to need consultation and to repeat a year.
Lunch Shaming
Deeply Apologetic
Desert Cove Elementary School released a declaration after a little while. It said, “It was never the intention of administration and staff to embarrass any student by using the stamp.” They were deeply sorry for the incident.
Deeply Apologetic
Many Years Before
That system had already been used by the school for a couple of years. They stated that the school would stop using this “stamping method.” They are only looking forward to talking about this sensitive matter to the parents from then on.
Many Years Before