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WEBVTT TERMINATION DOCUMENTS, THISLUNCH LADY WAS GIVING AWAY FOODTHAT WASN'T PAID FOR.>> IT'S BEEN REALLY HARD FOR ME.I THOUGHT I WAS DOING THE RIGHTTHING.AMANDA: DEBBIE SOLSMAN ADMITSSHE GAVE FOOD TO STUDENTS,INCLUDING HER GRANDKIDS, WHODIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY IN THEIRACCOUNT.>> I DID DO WRONG, I BROKE THERULE, IT WAS MY FAULT I JUSTFELT LIKE TERMINATION WAS AHARSH PUNISHMENT.AMANDA: SHE KEPT POST-IT NOTESFILLED WITH IOU'S.AND TELLS US SHE WOULD PAY THEBALANCE OFF WITH HER NEXTPAYCHECK.DEBBIE ALSO GAVE THE REGULARMEAL LIKE PIZZA OR A BURGER TOKIDS WITH PAST DUE ACCOUNTS, RATHER THAN CHEESE SANDWICHAND SIDES REQUIRED BY SCHOOLPOLICY.SOME PARENTS ARE OUTRAGED.>> I'VE GOT HER CALLING ME ORTHEM LIKE UH-OH, IT'S CHEESESANDWICH TIME.A KID CAN'T GET THROUGH THE DAYON A CHEESE SANDWICH.>> THIS IS MY SUSPENSION LETTER.AMANDA: DOCUMENTS REVEAL THESCHOOL SUSPENDED SOLSMAN ANDTHEN FIRED HER FOR PROVIDINGFOOD WITHOUT PAYMENT TO HERGRANDKIDS.THE DISTRICT'S SUPERINTENDENTSAYS NO CHILD EVER WENT WITHOUTFOOD.>> FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE THEDISTRICT OUT AS HEARTLESS TOKIDS NEEDS IS THE HARDEST PART.WE CARE A GREAT DEAL ABOUT OUREMPLOYEES, WE CARE A GREAT DEALABOUT THE STUDENTS.>> FIRING HER OVER FEEDING KIDS,THAT'S A NO GO.AND OUR COMMUNITY IS GOING TOCOME TOGETHER.>> I WANT THOSE KIDS TO KNOWTHAT I MISS THEM, AND THAT ILOVE THEM VERY MUCH.AMANDA: THESE DOCUMENTS ONLY SAYSOLSMAN GAVE FOOD TO HERGRANDKIDS. BUT THIS LUNCH LADY SAYS SHEHELPED ANY KID IN NEED.SCHOOL OFFICIALS COULDN'TESTIMATE HOW MUCH MONEY THESCHOOL WAS OWED OR HOW LONG THIS

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A lunch lady in Ohio was fired after school officials say she gave free food to students, including her grandkids. Debbie Solsman has worked inside the Denver Elementary cafeteria for nearly 15 years. She was terminated from her job in February. “It's been really hard for me. I thought I was doing the right thing,” Solsman said. Solsman admits she gave food to students who didn’t have money in their accounts. She kept post-it notes filled with IOU’s and tells WLWT she would pay the balances off with her next paychecks. The lunch lady also would give the regular meal, like pizza or a burger, to kids with past due accounts rather than cheese sandwiches and sides as per school policy. “I did do wrong, I broke the rule, it was my fault, I just felt like termination was a harsh punishment,” Solsman said. Some parents are outraged. “I've got her calling me or them like uh-oh, it's cheese sandwich time. A kid can't get through the day on a cheese sandwich,” mother Danielle Davis said. Documents reveal the school suspended Solsman and then fired her for providing food without payment to her grandkids. The district Superintendent Ron Sexton says no child ever went without food. “For people to make the district out as heartless to kids' needs is the hardest part. We care a great deal about our employees, we care a great deal about the students,” Sexton said. “Firing her over feeding kids, that's a no go. And our community is going to come together,” mom Serenity Mitchell said. “I want those kids to know that I miss them, and that I love them very much,” Solsman said. Documents only say Solsman gave food to her grandkids, but the lunch lady says she helped any kid in need. School officials couldn’t estimate how much money the school was owed or how long this had been going on. Solsman says parents began reaching out to her after they found out she had been missing in the lunch room. Word began quickly spreading on social media. She had no intention of making her firing so public.