CHARLOTTE, Mich — A well-intended educational moment at Charlotte High School turned controversial when officials displayed a dead pig in the cafeteria during lunch, telling students it would be served the next day.
- A parent criticized Charlotte School District for rolling out a dead pig during lunch at the high school last week.
- The school responded saying it was meant to be a 'unique learning opportunity' for its students.
- A mother of a high school student says the district should've asked for parents consent before presenting the dead animal to the student body.
WATCH: DEAD PIG DISPLAY AT CHARLOTTE HIGH SCHOOL DRAWS PARENT CRITICISM
The incident occurred on October 8 when school officials rolled out the pig as part of what was described as a 'unique learning opportunity'. However, the display has drawn criticism from parents who say they weren't given advance notice or the option to opt out.
"It feels like they were trying to cover it up," one mom said.
An anonymous mother of a high school student shared photos with Fox 47 News of the pig being displayed as students ate their lunch. The mom, who has children attending the high school, expressed frustration about the lack of communication from the school.
"A little frustrating considering that there wasn't any consent given," the mother said. "I feel like they didn't even do it the proper way to show them the farm-to-table [method]."
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The mother also provided what appeared to be a food inspection report conducted by the Barry-Eaton District Health Department last week. The report noted that the pig came from a local farm that was unlicensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The health department declined to comment and referred Fox 47 News to the school district.
"That should've been something that they discussed and given families the option to opt out if they didn't want to be a part of that or if the kids didn't want to be a part of that," the mother said.
The school district released a statement to Fox 47 News Thursday afternoon which can be read below.
"Charlotte Public Schools (CPS) recently planned a pig roast event as part of our ongoing efforts to provide engaging and educational food experiences for students. The event was designed to offer a unique learning opportunity for students while bringing our community together around shared meals.
Prior to the event, concerns were identified regarding the supplier’s compliance with food sourcing requirements. Following the Barry-Eaton District Health Department’s direction and out of an abundance of caution, the event was postponed.
We recognize that this situation has caused concern in our community. Please know that the safety and well-being of our students are always at the heart of what we do. CPS is committed to learning from this experience and continuing to provide safe, inclusive, and educational food experiences for our students."
The mother appreciated the district's response.
"It's nice to see some accountability and some lesson moving forward from that," she said.
According to the report, the health department ordered the school to dispose of the pig in a dumpster and create a new menu item for the day. Students ended up eating pre-packaged pulled pork instead.
The mother believes farm-to-table education has value but should be handled differently.
"The farm to table stuff that they're trying to promote I think is good but I think it should be done in a more sanitary and communicative way," she said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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