SALON

Friday, Jun 7, 2013 3:32 PM UTC

Bus driver becomes improbable spokesman for school hunger

Tallapoosa, Ga.'s Johnny Cook has earned a following on Facebook for a status update that may have cost him his job

By

Topics: International Business Times, School Hunger, Johnny Cook, National School Lunch Program, ,

Bus driver becomes improbable spokesman for school hungerJohnny Cook (Credit: Facebook/Johnny's Kids)
This article originally appeared on International Business Times.

International Business Times A school bus driver who says he was fired over a Facebook post about a hungry student is rapidly becoming an online folk hero, but at what cost?

On May 21, Johnny Cook, a driver for the Haralson County School System in Tallapoosa, Ga., posted a status update about a middle-school student who said he was denied a meal because his reduced-lunch card was 40 cents short.

“This child is already on reduced lunch, and we can’t let him eat,” he said in the post. “Are you kidding me?”

The post went viral, with more than 2,200 shares and 130 comments. Later, Cook posted a lengthy follow-up, stating that the school district gave him an ultimatum: Either remove the post and apologize, or face termination. Cook said he apologized for not bringing the matter to the attention of school officials, but he refused to remove the post because he believed the student was telling the truth about not being fed.

The problem is Haralson County school officials insist that the child’s story is untrue. Brett Stanton, the district’s superintendent, said surveillance video shows that the student did not go through the school lunch line that day. He added that students on reduced-lunch programs whose cards run low are offered up to three alternate meals, usually a peanut butter sandwich.

“If the student went through the line, he would’ve been fed,” Stanton told the International Business Times. “With the policies we have in place, it would be almost impossible for a student not to be fed if he went through the line.”

Cook said that the student, a family friend who lives nearby, would not make up such a story.

“I know this kid well, and I believed him with every fiber of my being,” he said in a phone interview. “This kid is 6 feet tall and 12 years old. Are you telling me he’s going to choose not to eat lunch? He’s a growing boy.”

Cook said Stanton is turning a blind eye to a harsh reality. Hunger, he insists, is a real problem for students not only in Haralson County but at schools everywhere. Since his story went national, he said he has received an overwhelming response from parents whose children have been turned away from school lunch counters because their reduced-lunch cards lack funds.

“Our parents aren’t even notified if their accounts are running low,” he said. “In this electronic age, you’d think that would be easy.”

On Tuesday, Cook posted a status update letting people know that he had been fired and was looking for work. He said he hasn’t had much luck so far, but he’s hopeful that an opportunity will turn up soon.

Stanton would not comment on Cook’s employment status with the school district, because it is a “personnel matter.” He acknowledged, however, that the district has a policy about what employees can and cannot post on Facebook.

“If an employee posts anything on a social networking site that causes a disruption at school, he’s subject to disciplinary action, including termination,” he said.

Meanwhile, a growing number of people are rallying behind Cook. A Change.org petition signed by more than 11,000 people is calling on the school district to not only give Cook his job back, but also publicly apologize on Facebook. And on May 30, one of Cook’s supporters launched the “Johnny’s Kids” Facebook page. The page’s owners have two fundraisers planned for June and July in the Atlanta suburb of Buchanan, with all proceeds going to help Haralson County students pay for school lunches.

Cook said he’s happy with the attention he’s getting as long as it raises awareness of the problem of school hunger. At the heart of the issue, he said, are flaws in the National School Lunch Program, the federal initiative run by the USDA, which he says often adds an unnecessary level of bureaucracy to the basic but crucial task of feeding students.

“They’ll take a tray of food out of a kid’s hands, throw it in the trash and then offer him an alternative meal,” Cook said. “My simple mind just doesn’t grasp the logic of that.”

Christopher Zara

More Christopher Zara.

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

7 motorist-friendly camping sites

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 9

Sponsored Post

  • White River National Forest via Lower Crystal Lake, Colorado
    For those OK with the mainstream, White River Forest welcomes more than 10 million visitors a year, making it the most-visited recreation forest in the nation. But don’t hate it for being beautiful; it’s got substance, too. The forest boasts 8 wilderness areas, 2,500 miles of trail, 1,900 miles of winding service system roads, and 12 ski resorts (should your snow shredders fit the trunk space). If ice isn’t your thing: take the tire-friendly Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway — 82 miles connecting the towns of Meeker and Yampa, half of which is unpaved for you road rebels.
    fs.usda.gov/whiteriveryou


    Image credit: Getty

  • Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest via Noontootla Creek, Georgia
    Boasting 10 wildernesses, 430 miles of trail and 1,367 miles of trout-filled stream, this Georgia forest is hailed as a camper’s paradise. Try driving the Ridge and Valley Scenic Byway, which saw Civil War battles fought. If the tall peaks make your engine tremble, opt for the relatively flat Oconee National Forest, which offers smaller hills and an easy trail to the ghost town of Scull Shoals. Scaredy-cats can opt for John’s Mountain Overlook, which leads to twin waterfalls for the sensitive sightseer in you.
    fs.usda.gov/conf


    Image credit: flickr/chattoconeenf

  • Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area via Green Road, Michigan
    The only national forest in Lower Michigan, the Huron-Mainstee spans nearly 1 million acres of public land. Outside the requisite lush habitat for fish and wildlife on display, the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area is among the biggest hooks for visitors: offering beach camping with shores pounded by big, cerulean surf. Splash in some rum and you just might think you were in the Caribbean.
    fs.usda.gov/hmnf


    Image credit: umich.edu

  • Canaan Mountain via Backcountry Canaan Loop Road, West Virginia
    A favorite hailed by outdoorsman and author Johnny Molloy as some of the best high-country car camping sites anywhere in the country, you don’t have to go far to get away. Travel 20 miles west of Dolly Sods (among the busiest in the East) to find the Canaan Backcountry (for more quiet and peace). Those willing to leave the car for a bit and foot it would be remiss to neglect day-hiking the White Rim Rocks, Table Rock Overlook, or the rim at Blackwater River Gorge.
    fs.usda.gov/mnf


    Image credit: Getty

  • Mt. Rogers NRA via Hurricane Creek Road, North Carolina
    Most know it as the highest country they’ll see from North Carolina to New Hampshire. What they may not know? Car campers can get the same grand experience for less hassle. Drop the 50-pound backpacks and take the highway to the high country by stopping anywhere on the twisting (hence the name) Hurricane Road for access to a 15-mile loop that boasts the best of the grassy balds. It’s the road less travelled, and the high one, at that.
    fs.usda.gov/gwj


    Image credit: wikipedia.org

  • Long Key State Park via the Overseas Highway, Florida
    Hiking can get old; sometimes you’d rather paddle. For a weekend getaway of the coastal variety and quieter version of the Florida Keys that’s no less luxe, stick your head in the sand (and ocean, if snorkeling’s your thing) at any of Long Key’s 60 sites. Canoes and kayaks are aplenty, as are the hot showers and electric power source amenities. Think of it as the getaway from the typical getaway.
    floridastateparks.org/longkey/default.cfm


    Image credit: floridastateparks.org

  • Grand Canyon National Park via Crazy Jug Point, Arizona
    You didn’t think we’d neglect one of the world’s most famous national parks, did you? Nor would we dare lead you astray with one of the busiest parts of the park. With the Colorado River still within view of this cliff-edge site, Crazy Jug is a carside camper’s refuge from the troops of tourists. Find easy access to the Bill Hall Trail less than a mile from camp, and descend to get a peek at the volcanic Mt. Trumbull. (Fear not: It’s about as active as your typical lazy Sunday in front of the tube, if not more peaceful.)
    fs.usda.gov/kaibab


    Image credit: flickr/Irish Typepad

  • As the go-to (weekend) getaway car for fiscally conscious field trips with friends, the 2013 MINI Convertible is your campground racer of choice, allowing you and up to three of your co-pilots to take in all the beauty of nature high and low. And with a fuel efficiency that won’t leave you in the latter, you won’t have to worry about being left stranded (or awkwardly asking to go halfsies on gas expenses).


    Image credit: miniusa.com

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 9

Related Videos

Comments

 55 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username ( settings | log out )

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

vote
We crush them with debt to go to college -- and today, rates are actually set to double. Are we out of our minds?
3274 points3275 points | 4074 comments
vote
Before Edward Snowden: “Sexual deviates” and the NSA - When the last major defection hit the NSA, the government smeared the leakers as gay. New documents show they lied
2674 points2675 points | 185 comments
vote
This man is still lying to America: A smoking gun shows Director of National Intelligence James Clapper is not coming clean to us -- again
764 points765 points | 43 comments
vote
We must hate our children. We crush them with debt to go to college -- and today, rates are actually set to double. Are we out of our minds?
109 points110 points | 17 comments
vote
James Clapper is still lying to America
85 points86 points | comment

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "The Joker": Laughing at life's deepest sorrows