STANLEY, WI (WQOW/CNN) - Parents in Wisconsin are furious that students without enough money are allegedly not being allowed to eat school lunches.
Children at Stanley Boyd High School said employees are confronting students without money in their accounts and throwing their food in the trash after they get it.
Superintendent Jim Jones said the school district has been cracking down on lunch accounts that hit zero.
While he said they've been offering those students an "alternative" lunch, students and parents claim otherwise.
Jones said students' food were not tossed in the trash.
“We have not physically, no employee at the district has physically taken a lunch and thrown it in the garbage, no.” Jones said.
“I guess I would have to call him a liar because he says straight up he's never done that and his staff doesn't do it, that's not true because we've as students have seen it happen," said a student at Stanley Boyd who did not give his name fearing he could get in trouble.
He said he's seen this happen first hand.
“So this special needs student sat down and was eating lunch. He grabbed his tray and said 'you don't have any money in your account' and dumped his tray in the garbage and he did not offer him an alternate food option,” the student said.
The student said it was the principal, Jeffery Koenig, who tossed the food.
Denise Hoffstatter also heard about this happening and decided to confront the school board on April 23.
“One of the administrators guaranteed me, 'Denise, I promise you this has only happened once and it was some nachos,' " Hoffstatter said she was told.
Koenig said his quote was "we can ensure that every kid has a free education but we cannot ensure free meals."
Parents said staff members eat in the cafeteria for free, so it's unfair for them to throw away student lunches.
They plan to confront the board at its next meeting at on May 28.
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