School Climate & Safety News in Brief

Nebraska School Cook Who Served Kangaroo Meat to Students Is Fired

By Tribune News Service — October 30, 2018 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A school cook in Nebraska was canned after he mixed kangaroo meat into chili made for students.

In a letter to parents, Potter-Dix schools Superintendent Mike Williams explained that public school students in the village of Potter were served chili with kangaroo meat as a main course. Williams said that the head cook, Kevin Frei, told him he served the kangaroo meat because of its nutritional value, and he provided Williams and the nutrition-services office of the state education department with nutritional information.

But that didn’t stop Frei from being fired.

“If a family wants to eat exotic foods, they can do so on their own time — not at school,” Williams’ letter said. “If we were to have food or ingredients that are out of the ordinary, they should be listed on the menu so that the students and families are aware of what they would be being served. We will no way be serving food of this nature again. Period.”

A version of this article appeared in the October 31, 2018 edition of Education Week as Nebraska School Cook Who Served Kangaroo Meat to Students Is Fired

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Managing AI in Schools: Practical Strategies for Districts
How should districts govern AI in schools? Learn practical strategies for policies, safety, transparency, and responsible adoption.
Content provided by Lightspeed Systems
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Absenteeism Webinar
Turning Attendance Data Into Family Action
This California district cut chronic absenteeism in half. Learn how they used insight and early action to reach families and change outcomes.
Content provided by SchoolStatus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
Climb: A New Framework for Career Readiness in the Age of AI
Discover practical strategies to redefine career readiness in K–12 and move beyond credentials to develop true capability and character.
Content provided by Pearson

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School Climate & Safety Q&A Inside the Fear at Chicago Schools Amid Federal Immigration Raids
Sylvelia Pittman has never experienced something like the current federal crackdown in her city.
5 min read
Sylvelia Pittman stands for a portrait outside of Nash Elementary School in Chicago on Oct. 30, 2025.
Sylvelia Pittman stands for a portrait outside of Nash Elementary School in Chicago on Oct. 30, 2025. She spoke with Education Week about the fears she is grappling with regarding immigration raids and federal agents' increased presence near her school.
Jim Vondruska for Education Week
School Climate & Safety Download How to Use School Security Cameras Effectively: 5 Tips (DOWNLOADABLE)
Smart, thoughtful use of security cameras can help bolster the safety of schools, experts say.
1 min read
A photo showing a CCTV security eye style camera monitoring students in a classroom. The classroom is blurred in the background while the camera is in focus.
iStock/Getty
School Climate & Safety From Our Research Center Security Cameras Are Everywhere in Schools. Do They Work?
The effectiveness of security camera systems is often compromised by lack of investment in upkeep and training.
6 min read
A camera with facial recognition capabilities hangs from a wall while being installed at Lockport High School in Lockport, N.Y., on July 10, 2018.
A camera with facial recognition capabilities hangs from a wall while being installed at Lockport High School in Lockport, N.Y., on July 10, 2018. Lackluster maintenance of security cameras in many schools compromises their effectiveness.
Carolyn Thompson/AP
School Climate & Safety Download Student Safety: Everything You Need to Know About Heat Stroke
As summer heat waves stretch later into fall—and with higher temperatures arriving earlier in spring—protecting student-athletes from heat-related illnesses has become a year-round concern.
Junior Ryan Edson takes a drink of water during a morning football practice at Westwood High School in Austin, Texas, on Sept. 2, 2025.
Junior Ryan Edson takes a drink of water during a morning football practice at Westwood High School in Austin, Texas, on Sept. 2, 2025.
Noah Devereaux for Education Week