Four teachers at a Joshua school quit after admitting abuse of free lunch program
Four teachers have resigned from North Joshua Elementary school after they made students, who had home-packed meals, use their school lunch card to get food from the cafeteria and then give it to certain teachers to eat, the school district said in a social media statement.
Joshua Independent School District said this year its students had the option for free lunches under the National School Lunch Program to assist families affected by COVID-19 or food insecurity. Four teachers admitted to abusing the program by telling students with packed lunches to use their lunch card, go through the lunch line and get a free lunch for staff members.
“This practice occurred consistently throughout the school year and was captured on District security cameras,” Joshua ISD said. “The teachers then voluntarily and of their own volition admitted to this behavior and resigned from employment. Not one teacher chose to fight potential termination, but again, admitted guilt, and voluntarily resigned.”
The school district issued its statement to clear rumors that the staff members were fired.
“The district denies all inflammatory allegations and any suggestion that the district took any actions contrary to state or federal law. These claims are baseless and entirely without merit,” the statement read, adding that “there is more to this matter.”
After meeting with the staff members involved, the school district is also considering future legal steps.
“While many in the community have stated the students were performing ‘an act of kindness’ and that this was one mistake which should not merit a separation of employment, such is not the case,” Joshua ISD said. “The act of receiving federal free lunches which one is not entitled to is fraudulent behavior, abuse of official capacity, and theft of federal funds, carrying with it criminal sanctions.”
The school district added that the incident can cause it to lose federal funding beyond the lunch program, and that the superintendent will report to the State Board of Educator Certification because of evidence of educators who “illegally transferred, appropriated, or expended school property or funds.”
“Joshua ISD assures its community that no students are to blame for this matter, rather only the staff members,” the statement read.
