Child with peanut allergy controversary

March 17, 2011

Despite protests by angry parents, a school in Florida is standing behind

its decision to implement new regulations to protect a first grade student

suffering from a severe peanut

allergy<http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/03/15/amid-protest-florida-school-stands-\

tough-new-peanut-allergy-regulations/#>

..

Students at Edgewater Elementary are required to wash their hands and rinse

their mouths out before entering the classroom each morning and after lunch.

Teachers, who monitor the daily rinsing, must also ensure that desks are

being continually wiped down with Clorox wipes. The school has banned all

peanut products, eliminated snacks in the classroom and prevented outside

food at

holiday<http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/03/15/amid-protest-florida-school-stands-\

tough-new-peanut-allergy-regulations/#>parties.

And last week a peanut-sniffing dog was brought into the school.

District spokeswoman Wait of Volusia County Schools said the school is

legally obligated to take these safety precautions because of the Federal

Disabilities Act.

“It would be the same thing as putting a handicap ramp for a student that is

physically disabled. The only difference with this is that is affects other

students,” she told FoxNews.com.

But some parents are saying it is taking away from their children’s learning

time.

“On average, it’s probably taking a good 30 minutes out of the day. That’s

my child’s education. Thirty minutes could be a while subject,”

Starkey told FoxNews.com.

On Thursday she and other parents protested outside the school, picketing

with signs that said, “Our Kids Have Rights Too.”

Experts say the school may have gone too far and that there are easier ways

to protect the child.

“I have never seen anything like this,” said allergist Dr. Sicherer

with the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network or FAAN, an organization that

monitors national food allergy issues. “There are many guidelines on how to

manage food

allergies<http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/03/15/amid-protest-florida-school-stand\

s-tough-new-peanut-allergy-regulations/#>in

schools… things like no food sharing. There are plenty of relatively

simple things the school could put in place that aren’t burdensome,” said

Sicherer.

But , the father of girl with life threatening food allergy,

says that if his daughter even smells peanuts, her reaction could be fatal.

" We've fought very hard to put certain things in place… to keep her alive…

in school, " he told MyFoxOrlando. " She's already a cast-out. She can't do

things that most kids can do. "

While the school’s actions may seem drastic and invasive the school says it

must protect the

health<http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/03/15/amid-protest-florida-school-stands-t\

ough-new-peanut-allergy-regulations/#>of

the student.

“It may seem like an inconvenience but this student registered her

disability at the beginning of the school year and we have to do these

things to give her a safe learning environment,” said Wait. Since the

protest was held last week, parents will be looking for some sort of

compromise from the school administration.

“We understand that they need to protect this girl, but these measures are

just extreme. Procedures need to be set in place, but not procedures that

will take away from our children’s education,” said Starkey.

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