As reported yesterday, two Lake Travis High School football players spread peanuts in a teammate’s locker in October, knowing he has a severe peanut allergy.
Although the school would not confirm how the students were disciplined, parents speaking to FOX 7 Austin confirmed the students received a two-week suspension resulting in the players sitting out one game, not even amounting to a slap on the wrist.
Outraged parents attending the Lake Travis ISD school board meeting Wednesday demanded more severe discipline.
“Since this incident, my son has faced backlash and retaliation almost daily,” said Shawna Mannon, the victim’s mother, to the board.
“A couple of teammates on his varsity football team were asking about his allergy to peanuts and asked if it could kill him,” said Mannon. “If it were to touch him, or would it kill him if they put them in his cleats or in his uniform? He said, ‘Yes, it absolutely could.’”
Parents confirmed the incident was recorded.
“As he grabbed the uniform, peanuts fell out everywhere,” said Mannon. “He set everything down and left the locker room in shock. He noticed hives started to develop on his arms almost immediately.”
“After seeing how the district handled the incident in October, students with food allergies have to live in fear that our allergies could be weaponized against us,” said a Lake Travis student.
Belinda Vaca, who lost her own son to anaphylaxis from peanut ingestion in 2014 and worked to have a state law passed known as “The Sergio Lopez Food Allergy Awareness Act,” spoke out at the meeting.
“Anytime I hear something like this, I’m an advocate,” said Vaca.
“I lost my only child, on June 26, 2014, after he ate a veggie taco, and he asked three times ‘Does it have peanuts?’ They told him no.”
Vaca and other Lake Travis parents are demanding more discipline for the perpetrators.
“What does the LTISD Student Code of Conduct require as punishment for such a serious offense?,” said a LTISD resident. “Mandatory expulsion. We have policies in place in our handbook, and we need to stick with them and enforce them.”
You can see the FOX 7 Austin follow up news report on the school board meeting here:
We urge you to e-mail the LTISD school board and voice your concerns. You can do so using the link at the conclusion of the prior article here.
Allergic High School Athlete Intentionally Exposed to Peanuts by Teammates
