A school has been forced to apologise after a mum shamed a teacher online for handing out an 'unacceptable' letter to young pupils before their school Christmas party.
With the festive celebrations organised to take place this week, a teacher asked each student to bring in a different food or drink to be shared.
Mum Takaria, from Mississippi, was handed a note by her daughter which said she had chosen to provide crisps or cheese balls, which needed to be taken in to the school the day before the party.
But the mum, and thousands of others online, were left outraged when the teacher added a note to say: "My philosophy is: if they don't bring anything, they don't eat anything."
Posting a photo of the letter on her Facebook page, Takaria wrote: "Now for these kids to be between 6-7yrs this should not be a philosophy.
"Kids are kids man. This is definitely not acceptable in my eyes."
The post has since been shared almost 7,000 times and and racked up more than 3,000 comments, with many sharing her view that the 'philosophy' would punish struggling families.
One replied: "The parents/children who are unable to contribute are the children who need it most."
Another said: "That person does not need to be in a classroom. I’d probably just not send my kid to school that day."
A third wrote: "For all of you who say s*** like 'just send a little something and quit crying', this isn't even about that.
"It is about the 'philosophy' of this 'teacher' who will be okay with letting a kid starve or exclude them without blinking about it."
Some pointed out that their own young children often forget to hand over the notes they are given at school, while others said they would have ensured they provided enough food so no pupils were excluded.
However, not everyone saw a problem with the teacher's message. One wrote in reply: "They are 'your children' not theirs, take some responsibility for your own kids.
"If you want your child to eat then give your child a plate to take, it's not rocket science."
After the post attracted a lot of attention, the school's superintendent issued a statement to apologise for the letter.
It read: "We want our students to view school as a safe space. Our students should know that the moment they come to school, they are in an environment where they are nurtured by their teacher.
"I can't publically speak to specifics regarding the teacher; however, I want to assure families that all students will participate and no students will be made to feel uncomfortable if they don't bring refreshments."
