DETROIT – A food fight on Friday between 175 students at Bethune-Fitzgerald Middle School in Detroit has lead to some controversial disciplinary action from school leaders.
In a letter sent home to parents the school principal said "middle school students will not be served lunch during the week of Nov. 5 through Nov. 9." Students are expected to bring their own lunch.
That's a punishment Christine Houston, whose grandchildren attend the school, cannot fathom.
"Don't take food from a child," she said. "And when the lady told me today, she says, 'Well, they're just going to miss lunch. We're going to give them supper.' What is that?"
Local 4 found one parent on Monday dropping off fast food to students.
Jessica Carpenter, a parent at the school who did just that on Monday, said she got a phone call she was not expecting.
"He said, 'Well, I need something to eat because they're not serving any middle schoolers lunch," Carpenter said.
She hand-delivered her son's lunch on Monday, but said it's a punishment which may teach the students a lesson.
"This is the punishment for the middle schoolers having a big food fight during lunch. Then maybe next time they will think twice before they throw away their food," Carpenter said.
The punishment is supposed to be in place all week but some school officials say they don't like the idea.
-- Jessica Carpenter said her son was lucky on Monday that she did not have to go to work and could bring him lunch.