Parents of a first grader attending school in Snohomish, Washington want answers after an elementary school cafeteria worker denied their son his school lunch program meal, telling him, “Guess what, you can’t have a lunch,” reports Fox 13.

According to the 7-year-old, identified as Xavier, the lunch lady was passing out bag lunches to students at Cascade View Elementary on October 20, when she refused to give him his lunch.

ADVERTISEMENT

“It was a sack lunch. It was in a bag, she was passing it around to everybody. The lunch lady said, ‘Guess what, you can’t have a lunch.’ She said that. She said I can’t have a lunch,” said Xavier.

When Xavier’s parents picked him up from school, their son told them he had received nothing to eat at lunchtime as he handed them a slip saying he had a negative lunch balance.

The boy’s father is upset with school administrators and wants to know why his son was left hungry for the day.

“My question was never answered as to why he was denied. I was very mad. I couldn’t believe it happened. It happened to me as a child and I could still feel that hurt and I can only imagine what he went through,” said the father, identified as Eric.

“You can’t do that. Feed them, they need to eat,” he said. “They need to concentrate. They can’t concentrate without eating.”

ADVERTISEMENT

According to the Snohomish School District, a child gets a cheese sandwich and unlimited fruits and vegetables from the salad bar, along with a drink, when their balance drops to negative $20 or more.

Xavier’s father claims that shouldn’t be the case with his son, saying, “We get funds from the state, food stamp wise, which means his balance should be covered.”

The boy’s father said he was upset enough to consider withdrawing his children from the school, adding “I just don’t want this to happen to any other kid. It’s hurtful.”

ADVERTISEMENT

The school district says they are looking into the matter.

Watch the video below from Fox 13: