“My 16 year old son, born with Down Syndrome, was asked not to bring his peanut butter sandwich to school because a fellow student (17 years old) has peanut allergies. My son has been bringing peanut butter sandwiches to school since he was 5. Why can’t the student with allergies eat elsewhere? Why is my son forced to change or eat elsewhere due to the other student’s needs? Thank you.”

Many schools have approached the peanut allergy issue differently. In most cases these policies have been created not only out of concern for individuals with allergies, but also out of fear of lawsuits. The federal Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requires government entities, such as schools, to make reasonable accomodations for those afflicted with various disabilities, such as food allergies. In many states, peanuts and peanut-products have been completely banned from schools.

While this may be difficult to explain to your child and may seem an outrageous over-reaction or extraordinary measure to accommodate one child’s needs, the risk of death or serious injury to that child may well offset some level of inconvenience to others.