



The Disney Channel needs to do a better job of self-censorship, according to a Pennsylvania mom. That's because the channel recently insulted her children and others who suffer from celiac disease, says mom Amy Raslevich.

In a recent On-Demand episode of the show Jessie, a boy named Stuart who is sensitive to gluten has pancakes thrown in his face and is portrayed as annoying, the Huffington Post reports. When Raslevich and her two children (who have celiac disease) viewed the video, "There were tears in my daughter's eyes, and my son's fist was clenched," she told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Disney is a trusted brand among parents and kids, so the company needs to be more conscientious, Raslevich notes. By airing the video, "Disney gave children permission, and an example, to further isolate my children and others like them because of their medical conditions. Their characters made it OK to characterize a real illness as an annoyance that is justification for the 'cool kids' to make fun of the 'others'. This isn't acceptable for anyone. It is the definition of bullying."

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Raslevich says her children are often alienated because of their restrictive diets, so she petitioned the channel to pull the episode. Disney complied — plus apologized for its callousness.

Do you think the Disney Channel needs to be more discerning about what it airs on TV?