Dinner Lady...the Other Side Of The Story

[sp1814]

Remember earlier this week, when we discussed the sacking of the dinner lady who served the Muslim kid gammon and was subsequently sack?

Some of us commented that the story (as reported by the Daily Mail), seemed 'wrong'.

Presenting the other side of the story:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/08/02/alison-waldock-row-muslim-parents-speak_n_3694477.html

Does this now change anyone's opinion one the story?

[ludwig]

Anyone would be daft to take anything they read from a single news source at face value, especially something with a deliberate agenda like the Daily Mail.

You need to cross reference about three different sources to get near the truth. Having now seen two subjective sides to the story, I'm forming an opinion, but I'd still like to see an objective one.

[emmie]

i have seen several papers and two sides to the story, this could run and run

[kylesmum]

Chicken farms are foul (sic).I once lived close to one.

I also wondered why she wasn't sacked on the spot if she had transgressed so often before.

I smell a cover up here, I have maintained all along they jumped before they were pushed and now the parents are on a guilt trip as it transpires their darling didn't follow their guidelines by not eating the packed lunch provided.

All well and good doing a cover up now but this dinner lady has had her name dragged through the mud and lost her job.Don't think there will a rush for vacant dinner lady positions in the future, who really needs that hassle ? :/

[hc4361]

I think a quote from the dinner lady herself was telling.

"To my knowledge, it’s the first time that this incident has happened, where I’ve served non-halal pork to a Muslim child,” she told HuffPost UK. “And that’s what I was sacked for.”

That does not mean she has not been previously reprimanded for other occurrences.

[boxtops]

Ummm, I suspect a recording is fine - some of the calls to prayer are recordings these days, not every muezzin has to leg it up to the top of a minaret to call it out.

[ummmm]

Pork is not halal anyway.

[emmie]

nothing to do with an imam or other intones a prayer, its the animal being killed with out being stunned first.

[DaisyNonna]

Nut allergy? What do they put in school dinners these days?

[sp1814]

I'm thinking that this woman was bad at her job, was rightly sacked, and the Daily Mail spun this story because they know what their readers want.

The idea that she could have been sacked over one single mistake is laughable.

The moral?

Never trust a single news source, and NEVER trust any story the Daily Mail prints about Muslims.

[emmie]

if she was that bad why did she work for them for 11 years, if you were crap at your job wouldn't you be out the door long before that time...

[emmie]

they didn't lie about the father, that is reported in any number of papers, maybe they were looking for some compo, who knows. wait to see if the woman takes the matter forward...

[neodarwinian]

No.

The whole thing is still silly and such religious dietary restrictions are even sillier. Why a lunch lady, probably not that bright, would have to jump through so many dietary hoops, except for medical reasons, is passing ridiculous. Bring your own lunch. The " proper preparation " of certain religiously defined lunches is pure barbarism.

[naomi24]

The way I read that the child concerned wasn’t in the queue for dinner – she had a packed lunch that day – so why is this family involved at all? Am I missing something?

[sp1814]

emmie

Was this the first occasion she messed up?

I've worked with people who aren't good at their jobs, and last for ages before making the fink big mistake.

That's what's happened to this particular woman.

Serving meat to vegetarians?

Good riddance to her. There are plenty of unemployed people who would jump at the chance of a job.

[naomi24]

SP, you seem to have made your mind up, but I don't know why. I still can't see why this family were involved if their child didn't have school dinner that day. What have I missed?

[Gromit]

Neither the dinner lady's or the parents' version seem to make sense. The facts that are not in dispute are that the head teacher remove a plate of Gammon from this child. The head teacher complained to the catering company and she was suspended on full pay and eventually sacked.

The girl's parents have reported the Sun (the original source of the story) to the Press Complaints Commission. The dinner lady has the option to press for unfair dismisal (though she seems to be taking her time to do that).

Only when those two processes have been gone through will we get anywhere nearer to the truth.

[Gromit]

To clarify:
The head teacher complained, and the dinner lady was suspended.

[EDDIE51]

As i said at the time , you can not sack someone for a one off mistake . This is precisely what I expected the truth to be. I think I said I would stake my pension on there being more to this than we had been told , well looks like my pension is safe.

[EDDIE51]

Kylesmum , you can not sack someone ''on the spot'' no matter what the offence . Immediate suspension until a disciplinary hearing is the most you can do. As this woman had a union lawyer representing her at the hearing I am sure the case against her was 'cast Iron' .

[New Judge]

Even if there is “more to this than meets the eye” the whole incident is absolute nonsense.

Muslims will not die or suffer irreparable damage if they accidentally consume a scrap of pork. If they are so sensitive that a little bit of pork fed to one of their children upsets them so much then they should up sticks and live elsewhere where their ultra-sensitivity will be better catered for. Here in the UK catering facilities in public establishments should not be expected to cope with the foibles of individuals or groups to such a degree.

The individual details of this particular incident are unimportant. What is more relevant is that in this country pork (and many other foodstuff) is widely produced, sold and eaten and you are very likely to come across it in your travels. If it is so important to you (or to your children) that you must not come into contact with it you need to make special arrangements yourself. You should not expect special arrangements to be made to accommodate your somewhat unusual requirements.