Chapter One of Brentson’s Anaphylaxis Allergy to Peanut Butter Products. September 2005 My son, Brentson Duke attends Taylor Stratton Elementary and is in the 4th grade. Over the summer Brentson developed a severe allergic reaction to peanuts and peanut butter. His throat started to close up on him and he couldn’t breathe. At the beginning of the school year everyone was advised about Brentson’s allergy to peanuts and peanut butter products. Mrs. Tina in the Cafeteria, Nurse Cathy and Nurse Clare, F.N.P., and Brentson’s homeroom teacher, Mrs. Kristy Greene. On September 12, 2005 he went to school like every other day. However, when his class went to music that morning, Brent started having a severe headache. Brent thought he was just getting a headache, but actually he was starting to have an allergic anaphylactic reaction to something he unknowingly came in contact with in music. The music teacher advised Brent that he could put his head down, because he felt too bad to walk directly across the hall to the School Health Clinic. When he put his head down his throat started close up. (Evidently there was some peanut butter or peanut butter product on the desk or in the air in the music room.) When he was finally able to lift his head and looked up a little while later, the entire class had left music and he was the only person in the room. He walked out of the room and found the music teacher. The music teacher took Brentson to his homeroom teacher, who was still in the hall escorting her students back to the classroom. When Brentson’s teacher Mrs. Kristy Greene saw his face she immediately knew something was terribly wrong, and took him straight to the clinic. The School Nurse Cathy immediately thought Brentson was having an allergic reaction. Nurse Cathy asked Brent if “he had eaten anything with peanuts or peanut butter?” He advised, “NO”. I received a call around 10:30 a.m. on Monday 09/12/2005 from Nurse Cathy at the School Health Clinic. Nurse Cathy advised, that she thought Brentson might be having an “allergic reaction”. However, he had a severe headache and she wasn’t 100% certain. I told her that I was on my way to the school right then. When I arrived, Brentson looked bad! He told me he felt like his throat was closing up, like it did when he ate the peanut butter and had to go to the Emergency Room. I signed him out of school and called his pediatricians office immediately and told them I was bringing Brentson into the office. My son lost consciousness on the way to the doctor due to the loss of oxygen he was receiving due to the severe allergic reaction he had at school. After the doctors released Brentson, I contacted Nurse Cathy to advise her that Brent was having a severe allergic reaction and that he went into anaphylactic shock and almost died. I told her what the doctor stated that people with allergies to peanuts and peanut butter products can just breathe the smell of any peanut or peanut butter products and have an anaphylactic reaction. On that same day, Monday 09/12/2005 I tried to contact Mrs. Constance Hayes, the principal of Taylor Stratton Elementary, but she was unavailable to speak with me. Therefore, I spoke to Mrs. Sullivan the Guidance Counselor at Taylor Stratton Elementary. I advised Mrs. Sullivan of the situation and that I desperately needed her help that my child almost died from being exposed to some form of peanuts or peanut butter products at school. Mrs. Sullivan advised that she would have to get back with me, due to she did not know how they would deal with this issue. I waited, waited and wait… I did not receive a call from Mrs. Sullivan or Mrs. Hayes. Therefore, on Thursday September 15, 2005 I wrote and then faxed Mrs. Hayes and Mrs. Sullivan a letter expressing my concerns and some suggestions. I still heard nothing… On Friday, September 16, 2005 I went to the school to pick up some more of my son’s assignments, and asked to speak to Mrs. Hayes. Mrs. Hayes stated, she did receive my letter, however, they could not restrict peanuts and peanut butter products from the school just because one child has an allergic reaction. I advised her that it was a severe anaphylactic reaction and he could have died. I advised her that if they cannot restrict it from the entire school, then I would like to have it restricted from his classroom. Nurse Clare Sullivan, F.N.P. had drafted a letter with help from someone at the Metro School Board, requesting the children in Brentson’s classroom try not to bring peanuts or peanut butter products due to a child is severe allergy to them and it is life threatening. Nurse Clare, F.N.P. gave the letter to Mrs. Hayes to ask her to approve it to be sent out to Brentson’s classmates. However, Mrs. Hayes stated that she contacted the School Board Lawyers and they advised her that they cannot ask the parents not to send peanut butter or peanut butter products because one child has a severe allergic reaction. Mrs. Hayes stated that they would have complaints. So, I guess Mrs. Hayes would rather have a dead child than a complaint. I advised Mrs. Hayes that I will not allow her or the
Metro
School Board to play “RUSSIAN ROULETTE” with my child. Mrs. Hayes said, “he can eat in the clinic”. It wouldn’t matter because he would still be around children who could have eaten it at lunch or at break time. The Metro School Board banned “hand sanitize” because “one child” had an allergic reaction. NOT A SEVERE ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION, JUST A REACTION. But my child almost dies, and Mrs. Hayes will not let a letter be sent out “requesting” that they not pack peanut butter products for their children due to this because there might be complaints. This infuriated me and I contacted the Metro
School Board and the Media. Only after Brentson and I did a story with News Channel 2, with Heather Orne was anything done about this matter. Then the principal, Mrs. Constance Hayes agreed to send out letters to the children and parents requesting that they not pack peanut butter or peanut butter products. The school had educational classes to inform the teachers and children about deadly food allergies. Through my research with the School Nursing Program I have found out that there are a lot of children in Stratton and other Metro schools with peanut and other food allergies that are deadly, anaphylactic allergies. However, there is nothing in place with the
Metro
School Board stating that this is a disability. Under the USDA guidelines it clearly states that any child with an anaphylactic reaction to any food is considered a disability.
Knox
County and
Rutherford
County
Schools have restricted all peanut butter products from their schools due to this deadly allergy. Peanuts and peanut butter products are banned on airlines now because of this. It is strange and terrifying but peanut and nut allergies come on unexpectedly. My son and I both have always eaten peanut butter. However, he had a severe anaphylactic reaction about 2 weeks prior to school starting. Your child or grandchild is just as likely to develop an allergy to peanut butter products as mine. The scary part is that you may not realize what a severe problem you have until your child passes out or worse. That is why I am proposing legislation to be put into place to help protect “our children”. Every child is supposed to be provided a safe learning environment. However, for children with severe anaphylactic food allergies, school can be a deadly place. I would like to see laws implemented to hopefully make all schools a safer environment for Brentson and other children with a potentially deadly allergy to peanuts or any other products. Our children are the future and we must protect them. I sincerely hope and pray that no one else will have to experience the trauma that my child and I went through because the necessary precautions had not been taken to protect “our children”. Sincerely,
Laura Duke This message is intended for where the writer posted it. Any distribution of this message in any way is prohibited without the written consent of Laura Duke. I reserve the right to pursue all legal means at my disposal to enforce my son’s and my privacy!
Chapter Two of Brentson’s Anaphylactic Allergy to Peanut Butter Products. October 2005 This is another example of why legislation must be put in place to protect children with anaphylactic reactions due to food allergies. Taylor Stratton Elementary had a “Family Night Meeting” on Thursday, 10/27/05. Mr. Joseph Mitchell coordinated this event that included a hot dog dinner, Halloween treat bags for the children, and door prizes. Brentson and I didn’t make it to the meeting Thursday night at Stratton due to the way Mr. Joseph Mitchell, Principal Constance Hayes, and Assistant Principal Jacqueline Kinzer handled this event. Brentson brought home a letter telling about this event on Friday, 10/21/05. I was concerned over the Halloween treat bags that were to be given out to the children due to Brentson’s peanut allergy. I spoke with Mr. Mitchell on Monday, 10/24/05 and advised him about Brentson and the other children at Stratton that have peanut allergies. (Mr. Mitchell just started working part-time at Stratton a few weeks ago.) He told me that since they did not request that parents bring candy without peanuts or peanut butter products in them, (even though Stratton is supposed to be “peanut free”), Mr. Mitchell said they would just give out the candy at the end of the program. Also, Mr. Mitchell said that Brentson and I could get him a sack of candy and leave before they started the door prizes. This still concerned me greatly, and I advised him of this. He said that they would tell the children not to open the candy until they got home. I advised Mr. Mitchell that telling a child not to open and eat candy is like telling a child not to open a present at Christmas. It isn’t going to work! Therefore, I spoke to Mrs. Kinzer, the Assistant Principal, on Monday, 10/24/05 also. I advised her that Brentson and I would not be coming to the meeting on Thursday due to the fact they would more than likely have some candy with peanuts or peanut butter in it, and it would not be a safe environment for Brentson. I advised Mrs. Kinzer that the other parents of children with the peanut allergies need to be aware that there will possibly be candy at Stratton with some form of peanut butter product in it. Therefore, it wouldn’t be safe for their child either. Mrs. Kinzer assured me that they had already talked about this and that they would remove any candy with peanuts, peanut butter or anything that possibly could have been crossed contaminated with peanuts. Brentson wanted to go Thursday night, but we were running late. I received a call as we were about to walk out the door at 6:20 p.m. that they were handing out candy with peanuts and peanut butter products in them. Snickers and Peanut M & M’s, Reese’s, etc.
I called Mrs. Kinzer on Friday morning, 10/28/05 and asked her what happened on Thursday night. She had told me that any candy with peanuts or peanut butter would be removed and not handed out. Mr. Joseph Mitchell said that it wouldn’t be handed out until the end of the meeting right before everyone left. Neither one of those things happened! Mrs. Kinzer said that Principal Hayes and Mr. Mitchell decided to give the children their candy with their hot dog. Mrs. Kinzer said that she didn’t see anyone eating candy. The parent that called me Thursday night advised there were adults and children eating candy. This was verified by more than one adult. I told Mrs. Kinzer that I didn’t have a problem not bringing Brentson–that isn’t the issue. However, I do have a problem with her and Mr. Mitchell telling me that they were going to handle it one way and then not doing what they said they were going to do. They compromised my child’s life by not doing what they said and at the very least I should have gotten a phone call after they changed their plans. If they were going to give out candy early and if they were going to give out candy with peanuts and peanut butter products that is fine, but don’t tell me one thing and do another! Mrs. Kinzer assured me that she was not going to let any of this candy be handed out and that I should bring Brentson. They are playing with my child’s life and they are acting like it’s no big deal! Well it is a big deal, a very big deal and you don’t play with a child’s life like that! If you invited a child to a school function and he/she was in a wheelchair and the parent comes to you tells you her concerns. You assure this parent that everything will be safe for her child to come to this school function. However, when they (mother and child) arrived at the event, the Principal has taken down the wheelchair ramp. The Principal didn’t bother to call to tell this parent that the wheelchair ramp was removed. This is called DISCRIMINATION! Brentson and some other children that attend Taylor Stratton Elementary have a severe anaphylactic reaction to peanuts. The Principal and all of the staff know this because Brentson almost died at Taylor Stratton Elementary on 09/12/05, due to an anaphylactic reaction by him unknowingly coming into contact with peanuts or peanut butter in music class. I went to the Assistant Principal and the person over the event and advise them of my concerns. I was assured by both of them that it would be safe for my child at this school function and I should bring him. However, they decided not to do what they said to make it a safe environment for my child or the other children with anaphylactic reactions to peanuts to attend this school function. They don’t bother to call and advise me of the changed plans. Therefore, not showing any RESPECT for my child or the other children’s lives with anaphylactic reactions to peanuts! The USDA clearly states that a food allergy that results in an anaphylactic reaction is a “disability.” Therefore, they would have to accommodate Brentson and the other children with deadly food allergies. What they did on Thursday night, 10/27/05 was DISCRIMINATION! Principal Hayes violated a FEDERAL LAW!
Principal Hayes knew that her actions on 10/27/05 could have hurt or killed Brentson and the other 5 children that attend Taylor Stratton with anaphylaxis allergies to peanut butter products. What she did that night is called “ATTEMPTED VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER!” The Metro Nashville Police Department has made a report on this incident and they are investigating. There has got to be legislation proposed and put into place to protect these children, so there will be severe consequences for Principals and staff who do not take every precaution to protect these children’s lives. My attorney has been contacted regarding this latest incident with Principal Hayes. Sincerely, Laura Duke This message is intended for where the writer posted it. Any distribution of this message in any way is prohibited without the written consent of Laura Duke. I reserve the right to pursue all legal means at my disposal to enforce my son’s and my privacy!
