Trustee resigns over 'shoot kids' with allergies joke
CLAWSON, Mich. — A school board member has resigned after public uproar over a joke she made at a meeting about shooting students with allergies.
The topic of students' food allergies was being discussed at a Nov. 10 board meeting when Trustee Linda Grossmann said, "Well, you should just shoot them," according to a video of the meeting posted on YouTube.
"We were stunned and saddened by a comment recently made by a member of the Board of Education of Clawson Public Schools," read a statement posted on the district's website.
"Although the comment was an inappropriate attempt at humor, it was most insensitive, and has resulted in the resignation" of Grossmann, the statement read. "It does not represent the views of our district nor our Board of Education."
The statement wasn't enough for some, including Heather Maurer, whose son has a nut allergy and is a fourth-grader at Schalm Elementary. She noted that some in the audience, and at least a couple of the board members now condemning Grossmann's comment, could be heard laughing in a video of the meeting.
Board members should have said something then, said Maurer, who describes herself as a strong supporter of the district.
"An immediate consequence needed to happen there," Maurer said.
During the meeting, the board was hearing a report about new federal rules that restrict the kinds of snacks that can be sold in schools. Principals were asked about the impact in their schools. One responded that snacks aren't served in school because many kids have allergies. Another made similar comments, saying "Too many allergies. We have like 20 kids with allergies at this point — at least one in every class."
That's when Grossmann responded: "Well, you should just shoot them."
She immediately raised her hands to indicate she was kidding. One board member said they should just put those children in a separate classroom.
Grossmann's comment angered Mark Drinkard, who has five grandchildren attending Clawson schools — including one with a peanut allergy.
"I know she was joking, but it was a very poor joke," Drinkard said. "If you had a life-threatening allergy, would you think it was so funny if someone made fun of you?"
He said his granddaughter has to eat at a table alone at lunch to avoid allergies and often feels ostracized. The separate lunch table is necessary, he said, to ensure his granddaughter doesn't come in contact with peanuts.
"Just the whole crassness of the thing is what gets me," Drinkard said.
He noted that if a student had made such a joking comment about shooting other students, he or she would face disciplinary action.
Clawson Superintendent Monique Beels called the comment "insensitive and hurtful," and a "sad attempt at humor."
Grossmann could not be immediately reached for comment.
A video of the meeting has gone viral, garnering comments from across the country on the district's Facebook page and the website page of a group that called itself Honesty for Clawson Schools. A posting on the latter's Facebook page had been shared nearly 2,000 times Tuesday.
A national group, Food Allergy Research & Education, issued a news release calling the comments "egregious and unacceptable."
"Food allergies are a serious illness and suggesting that these children should be shot, even in jest, is outrageous and unacceptable from a public official," said James Baker, CEO of the McLean, Va.-based nonprofit.
Maurer didn't hear about the uproar until she was scrolling through Facebook Monday night. Not knowing what the video would show, she played it while her son was with her.
"He comprehended it immediately and got very upset. He wrote a letter/picture about it because he was so mad about it," she said.
Despite the comment, Maurer said she's been happy with the care that staff at Schalm Elementary have provided to her son.
"I have all the faith in them," she said. "They do everything they need to do to keep my kid safe. It's sad that these are our policy-makers and decision-makers that are acting like this."