A 16-year-old student at Penn Manor High School in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is facing criminal charges for taking $10.50 worth of food from the school cafeteria without paying. 

The student allegedly took food on multiple days without stopping at the register. But instead of school officials addressing this internally, they brought in the police. Now, this young person—who was not previously charged with theft—is being dragged into the criminal justice system. Over lunch.

Penn Manor School District claims that “no student is denied a meal,” and that there are options for free or reduced lunch. But clearly, those systems are failing some students. When a child feels the need to take food instead of ask for it, the answer isn't punishment—it’s support.

We’ve seen this story too many times across the country: young people from struggling families criminalized for being hungry. It doesn’t make our schools safer. It doesn’t help the child. And it certainly doesn’t reflect the values of a caring community.

We, the undersigned, call on:

• Millersville Borough Police to drop all charges against this student immediately.
• Penn Manor School District Superintendent Philip B. Gale and the School Board to implement a no-prosecution policy for food-related infractions, and commit to handling these issues internally with compassion and discretion.

We also urge the district to audit its school lunch outreach and make sure every family who qualifies for free or reduced meals knows exactly how to access them—without stigma or red tape.

No child should face a courtroom for needing a meal. Let’s show this student—and every kid watching—that our schools exist to educate and support them, not to punish them for being in need.

Add your name to demand justice and compassion in our schools.