Woman sacked for being too nice to a child

yinka ogunlami

December 24, 2015 6:34 PM

Dalene Bowden, a dinner lady in Idaho, USA, was sacked after serving free lunch to 12-year-old girl who could not afford to buy some food to eat.

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Dalene Bowden, a dinner lady in Idaho, USA, was sacked after serving free lunch to 12-year-old girl who could not afford to buy some food to eat. The woman was sent a letter telling her she had been fired due to 'theft' and 'inaccurate transactions' after the kind-hearted gesture.

Being nice and humane, especially to children and the less privileged has always been a respected and encouraged trait among the human race, right? Not anymore, apparently, as a certain lady got the boot from her work place after serving free lunch to a 12-year-old girl who could not afford the meal.

For her kind, motherly efforts, all Dalene Bowden got was a letter telling her she had been axed due to 'theft' and 'inaccurate transactions'.

Bowden, who had worked at Irving Middle School and other schools in the area for 25 years, said the girl had offered to pay the fee of around £1 but she refused.

Bowden worked in the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District in Idaho, US, where she said she had previously been given a verbal warning for given a child a free cookie. That did not deter her from being kind to the hungry child, though.

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Speaking to The Idaho Statesman she said, "This is just breaking my heart.

"I'm not apologizing and I would do exactly the same thing again regardless of the consequences.

"I broke the rules, but I offered to pay for the meal and I don’t think I deserved to lose my job over it.

"I know I screwed up, but what are you supposed to do when the kid tells you that they’re hungry and they don’t have any money?

Parents have now started a petition to try and get her re-instated.

Raushelle Guzman, of Pocatello, who has two children in the same school district has gathered more than 38,000 signatures in support.

She said: "I think [Bowden] did the right thing and I think we need to make sure that every child that wants lunch can have lunch.

"I think the district’s policy needs to be changed.

"We do not need to humiliate or demean any child or worker in that situation," she concluded.

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