Lunch lady reportedly fired for giving hungry kids free meals

Lori Grisham | USA TODAY Network

A former Colorado school district kitchen manager claims she was fired Friday for giving free lunches to hungry students, according to reports.

"I had a first grader in front of me, crying, because she doesn't have enough money for lunch. Yes, I gave her lunch," Della Curry told CBS4 in Denver. Curry worked at the Dakota Valley Elementary School in Aurora, Colo.

The Cherry Creek School District issued a statement saying that they cannot comment on personnel issues. The statement said no child is denied lunch because of the inability to pay.

"We provide hot meals to students the first three times they forget their lunch money and charge their parents' accounts. The fourth time, we provide a cheese sandwich and milk," according to the statement.

Curry told CBS4 in Denver that a cheese sandwich and milk is not enough food. Curry claims some children's parents make too much money to quality for the free meal program, but not enough to afford the lunch.

"It is policy to never give out free food," Curry told The Denver Post Tuesday. "That is all fine and dandy until you have little kids not on the free and reduced program and their account goes negative." Curry worked at the school for roughly one year and gave out about 20 hot lunches during that time, she told The Denver Post.

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