Teacher Tells Mother Her Teen Is ‘Entitled Brat’ After Being Fired For Not Allowing Snacks

Oct 25, 2021 by apost team

When you’re the parent of a kid with special medical needs it can be scary to leave your child alone at school, where you can’t advocate for them. One mother shared a story on Reddit about a teacher at her 13-year-old daughter’s school that wouldn’t allow her to eat in class even though she is a type one diabetic. The mother tried talking to the teacher, but after two incidents she decided to speak with the principal instead. 

This led to the teacher being fired, and now the mother is wondering if she did something wrong. An important detail is that there was a legally binding 504 plan in place at her daughter’s school that states she is allowed to eat in class when she needs to. The teacher ignored this and stated that her self-proclaimed classroom rules take precedence. 

The mom said she didn't even know about the firing until she ran into the teacher at the grocery store. The teacher confronted the mother and said that it was her fault that she was fired and called her daughter an “entitled brat.” The mother just walked away, but the incident made her question if she behaved inappropriately. 

The community on Reddit was on the mother’s side for the most part. Users felt that the teacher was out of line and putting a student’s life at risk by ignoring her medical needs. Others agreed that the teacher was fired because she broke the law and not directly because of the mother’s actions. The confrontation at the grocery store was just further proof in their eyes that this teacher was rightfully fired. Keep reading to learn more about this story.

The mom started off her post by explaining: “My daughter is type 1 diabetic and sometimes hypoglycemic. Due to this, we set up a 504 that says she can eat a snack in class whenever needed, along with other accommodations.”

According to Kids Health, “Section 504 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is designed to help parents of students with physical or mental impairments in public schools, or publicly funded private schools, work with educators to design customized educational plans.” This means that students with disabilities are allowed special accommodations so they can succeed in school.

The main issue in this story is that the teacher endangered the student’s life by denying her a snack. The mom continued her post, writing: “Anyways, at one point one of her teachers, who is apparently a new teacher, denies her a snack while hypoglycemic. She nearly passes out but in the next class she is in, the teacher has enough common sense to let her eat a snack before passing out at school. When she told me, I immediately called the teacher.” 

She added: “When she called back, I lectured her and told her that she needed to let my daughter eat a snack when needed. She says snacks aren’t allowed in class but I tell her that due to my daughter’s 504 she is legally required to give my daughter an exception to that rule, and recommended she give it another read. Before hanging up, I tell her that if she does this again I will contact the principal and let him know. I recorded this call on my husband’s phone by the way.”

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Despite the mother’s attempt to speak with the teacher, her daughter almost passed out again after the teacher said she couldn’t eat anything. “A month goes by and the same thing happens again. I request a meeting with the principal and my husband plays back the call between me and the teacher. I tell him she has done this twice and needs to have a talk with her,” the mom explained. 

She continued, “Turns out, he actually fired her for ADA violations. How do I know? I ran into her at Publix. She told me that it’s my fault I got her fired over ‘some stupid snacks’ and I need to stop raising an entitled brat. Instead of arguing back I just walked away. Did I actually go too far?”

The confrontation at the grocery store caused the mom to turn to Reddit for advice. Nearly everyone thought the mother did the right thing. One person wrote:  “A 504 is a legally binding agreement that the school HAS to follow. The teacher was actually probably fired because she didn't follow the 504, and the school could get into trouble for that.”

It was clear to the users on Reddit that this teacher did not understand, or care, that she was endangering the life of a student. Another user commented: “It is not just the legal obligations this teacher violated. The child is diabetic and hypoglycemia can kill. The teacher doesn't seem to understand that her actions could have sent a child to the hospital or worse.”

Who do you think was right in this situation? Should the teacher have been fired? Let us know your thoughts and be sure to pass this on to your friends and family.