Hawaii preschool bans teacher's assistant from eating homemade lunches in front of the children

School says staff cannot eat own food during lunch break



24-year-old switched to organic diet because of allergies

A teacher's assistant could be excluded from school because she brings in her own homemade lunches.

Every day Carissa Lee O'Connell's husband lovingly prepares organic food for his wife, who suffers from severe nasal allergies.



But Hawaii Kai school has told the 24-year-old she must stop eating her own food in front of the children at lunchtime.

Left out: Carissa Lee O'Connell wants to be able to eat her own food during the preschool's lunch break

Rick O'Connell, 53, says that since he started making the healthy organic lunches for his wife four months ago her allergies disappeared.



While her allergies may be gone, Mrs Lee O'Connell has started to have trouble sleeping after a warning from KCAA Preschools of Hawaii, where she has worked for the past year.

'I definitely haven't slept well and I can't really focus on my work all the time because I'm always thinking about what my director might see, and how she's going to use that against me,' Mrs Lee O'Connell told KITV4.

The teacher's aide was given a verbal warning about her lunches In April, but last week she received written notice saying that if Mrs Lee O'Connell continued to defy school administrators, she would be summarily fired.

'I really enjoy being with the kids, having fun and seeing them every day,' Mrs Lee O'Connell said. 'They're making me eat my lunch away from everybody else just because my director feels uncomfortable about the situation.'

Healthy: Carissa Lee O'Connell with her husband Rick, who has been making organic lunches for her

Lunch break: Rick O'Connell makes organic food for Carissa, who suffers from allergies

Christina Cox, president of KCAA, which has seven preschools in Oahu , said the teacher's assistant was allowed to eat homemade lunches during her paid break, or when the children are having a nap.

She said the school was trying to create a family setting during lunch, where teachers and staff tell the children about the food being served.

In the warning letter , campus director Wendy Nishimura wrote: 'Staff who choose not to eat the meals provided, may eat their own food during their break or after the meal service for the children is completed.'

However, Mrs Lee O'Connell said the 10-minute break did not give her enough time to enjoy her lunch.

Rules: The KCAA preschool says staff can bring their own lunch but they cannot eat it in front of the children

The preschool prides itself on its school dinners, which have been praised for 'best practices' in nutrition by national accreditation standards and the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Programme.

It adds on its website that children and staff are offered a varied menu that caters for vegetarians and those with food allergies.



Mr O'Connell believes his wife is being targeted unfairly by the preschool, which takes tax dollars through the USDA Child Nutrition Programme.

'Her tax dollars can go into a programme that [children] are being fed with, but she can be ostracised for eating a certain way to maintain her health,' he said. 'She's got a choice to either keep her job, or keep her health. That's just a horrible choice for anybody to have to make.'