Hoover Child Nutrition Program Tweet Draws Criticism

HOOVER, AL - A tweet posted Thursday by the Hoover City Schools Child Nutrition Program has prompted some criticism by Twitter users. The Tweet shows a woman holding up fake money and says, "Just as a friendly reminder, we do not take 'play money' as a form of payment!"

While the post was likely meant to be lighthearted, many people saw the tweet and accompanying photo as an attempt to "call out" children who cannot afford school lunches. One Twitter user responded, "At best, this 'joke' is in poor taste considering the amount of children in your school system that can’t afford to eat lunch (I’ve paid for a few this year already). At worst, this is morally reprehensible to mock a hungry child."

Another user said, "Hey so uh did you give the kid food anyway or are we just going to mock a kid who was hungry on social media?"

The thread can be seen here:

This incident comes during a time when other similar incidents in area schools have been criticized. In 2016, an incident at a Gardendale elementary school made national headlines when a school cafeteria worker stamped "I Need Lunch Money" on a third grade student's arm. The father if the child complained that it was a public shaming of his son, and was uncalled for.

Attempts to reach the Hoover CNP have been unsuccessful, and the organization has yet to respond to its critics on social media.

Image via Twitter