Maybe should mention that my little brother was allergic to EVERYTHING... PB to green beans and everything in between. Hard to watch a five year old get a shot every week, all year long, just so he can breathe at home and at school, but that was the case. Eventually he was old enough to poke himself, and as an adult he's outgrown the severity, if not all the allergies themselves.
His school did NOT ban anything. He was totally excused to go to his doc every single week, never counted against him in any way. The staff knew what he was allergic to and didn't offer it to him. But mostly HE knew what he could and could not have. He was educated by his mom and doctor. He was medicated. And he did fine.
So when I hear folks talking about their child being SO allergic.... well there ARE things YOU can do to protect yourself/your child that in no way effects someone else. Did anyone see anywhere where it said whether these parents bother with allergy meds? Is this kid SO unique that no drug (pill or injected) will lower their risk? Or are these folks dead set against meds... there are those that won't medicate or vaccinate for anything... ? What are the PARENTS doing to ensure their child's safety? Anything?
As to kids being cruel and purposely putting a peanut in their path... well, never happened to my Bro but then again all his 'weaknesses' weren't drilled into bullies heads either.
As to banning... it's not going to work. Even if every single parent in the entire school banned peanuts and peanut products and anything processed in the same plant as a peanut product from their home (throw away a LOT of food and totally change their entire HOME diets), their child could still get the cooties on them en route to school, on the bus, on the sidewalk. So could any teacher or other staff member. So could any delivery person. Rinsing mouth and washing hands is all well and good, if touching was the only way it could hurt the kiddo. But a particle being airborne means that a tiny smudge on someone's shirt, pants or shoe would be enough to kill. And since you cannot sterilize every person, from hair to toenails, body and clothing and shoes, then there is no way to prevent exposure. It's not a question of if, it's a when... and it's going to be the kids and teachers who will be second guessing themselves, retracing their steps and feeling like crap thinking it was their fault this child died. That's just not cool. Putting that kind of burden on someone else, particularly children.
And that completely discounts the burden of altering their entire diets to bow down to someone who doesn't even live with them! Many have said "not everyone can afford HS or private" I do get that. But don't discount the fact that not everyone can have a healthy pantry without ANY peanut products... PB is a good protein source and it's cheap. For some that is all they can afford. Why should the financial burden of another person's child be dumped on them? Maybe a moot point, perhaps in this district there isn't a single family that's struggling, but in my district I have SEEN this myself. If those tight budgets were forced to destroy anything that might have touched a peanut it'd be a lot of food wasted, and no money to replace it.
I always say "My rights end when they begin to step on yours." Yes I have the right to save and buy myself a TV. I can't however steal yours because that would directly destroy YOUR right to save and buy a TV. If that makes sense?? It is MY job to protect my child. Not the government's, not my parent's, not my neighbor's, mine. If I didn't want the responsibility then I wouldn't have had them, period. Unfortunately fewer and fewer agree with that... they believe that they can take and demand whatever they want and never be bothered with adjusting themselves.
Of course this could be a uber rare, fluke of a child... that NO medicine in the world can help... if that's the case then it's really just a matter of time... but if this child could be medicated like my Bro, could lower their risk of shock (but maybe still get hives) and the parents are just refusing to do that (beliefs, funds, whatever) and then purposely send them into an unsafe environment... sorry but in my book that'd be neglect. Anyone know about that part??
But as to their not being able to afford special schooling... if this kiddo has been tagged as disabled then YEAH, they can. Donno all the ins and out since schools are run by individual states, but there are laws on the books, education and handicap, that can help these folks. If they're choosing to ignore those, choosing to ignore their child's handicap and insist that their kid is just like everyone else... well all I can do is pity the child, it's them that will pay the price for their parents choices.
