Mom: Lunch system causing bullying

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (WWLP) - South Hadley High School was thrust into the national spotlight nearly two years ago after bullying victim Phoebe Prince committed suicide, and now one mother says more has to be done to protect students from bullying.

Jennifer Kalvinak says there is a class war going on in South Hadley. She feels rich kids are picking on poor kids, and one of the problems centers around how the school deals with free lunch.

Kalvinak is the mother of 16 year-old Payton Spinney, a former student at South Hadley High. “Some people were still making fun of her saying ‘hey want to go hang out later’ with emphasis on the ‘hang,’” Kalvinak said.

Spinney told 22News that she was bullied for months; so badly she had to leave school.

“She was bullied,” Kalvinak said. “She was called ‘fattie’ and pushed in the lunchroom. That was the last day she was in school.”

“If you don't fit into a certain wealth class, they will basically treat you like garbage,” Spinney said.

Spinney told 22News that it was at lunch that she felt the most stress because of how the school handles the free lunch program. She says they force kids to hold cards that are florescent colors, so it's obvious to students and bullies that they come from low-income families.

“There's no reason,” Kalvinak said. “These kids have student ID’s. They should be walking around with a student ID, that's all these kids need. They shouldn't be walking around with bright orange meal ticket.”

South Hadley Superintendent Gus Sayer told 22News that the lunch cards are brightly colored and change from week to week, but he said all students who prepay for lunch use them as well as students who receive free lunch. He said the school will soon be changing to an electronic system that will be more discrete.

Still, Spinney's mother wants more action. She's started a petition asking people if they want South Hadley to do more to keep kids safe in town. She has more than 70 signatures.

“I'm trying to get people to understand that if you fight, things change,” Kalvinak said.

She plans on presenting that petition to the school committee at their next meeting.

Sayer says that there has been a significant drop in bullying at South Hadley High School. He said that they have taken two surveys at the school, and students seem to be reporting less bullying overall.