Lunch Shaming 101

Did you know that lunch shaming is illegal in MN schools? It sure is! Minnesota is a US leader in legislation addressing the problem of school lunch shaming. Hunger Solutions, a local anti-hunger nonprofit, worked in partnership with Legal Aid to pass legislation in 2014 and again in 2021 to protect Minnesota students from being singled out or shamed based on their school meal account balance.

What is lunch shaming?

Lunch shaming is behavior or tactics that call attention to students who can’t afford meals or are on Free or Reduced Price meals, and it can show up in a wide variety of ways. Thanks to Minnesota laws, schools are not allowed to:

• Withhold providing a meal to students with a negative balance

• Restrict students with a negative balance to an alternative meal such as a cheese sandwich

• Dump school meals

• Take away meal that has already been served to a student

• Announce or list students’ names publicly who have a negative account balance

• Use stickers, stamps, or pins to show which students can get certain types of meals

• Restrict student participation in school or extracurricular activities – like field trips, athletics, or graduation ceremonies – due to an unpaid meal balance

• Otherwise single out students for having an unpaid meal balance

Even with anti-lunch shaming laws, some Minnesota schools have policies in place that result in students experiencing embarrassment, shame, or even skipping lunch in an attempt to avoid the uncomfortable mealtime transaction.

How do I find out about my school’s meal policies?

Good news! Minnesota law requires that schools participating in the National School Lunch program have their meal policies posted to their website. These policies vary widely from school to school, but all school meal policies are required to:

• Clearly communicate meal charges if a student has insufficient funds in their account

• Maintain the dignity of students by prohibiting lunch shaming

• Disclose if the school uses a collections agency to collect unpaid school meal debt

The easiest way to find out about your school meal policies is to search “school meal policy + your school name” on Google. You can also contact your school’s principal or administrative staff for that information!

If you have concerns about lunch shaming or the meal policy at your school or district, there are people who can help. Contact Legal Aid at (612) 332-1441.

How do we put an end to lunch shaming – forever?

In order to end lunch shaming and get stigma out of Minnesota schools, we need to ensure that all students have access to the same school meal regardless of their family’s ability to pay. Free school meals for all students gives kids a level playing field for learning, and returns the cafeteria to a place of refueling and fun instead of stigma and shame!

Show your support for Hunger-Free Schools by signing the petition here, and talking to your friends and family about why Minnesota should provide free school meals for ALL students.