We have seen and heard of some downright nasty things over the years, but this may truly be one of the most demonic.
A peanut allergy incident that targeted high school football player Carter Mannon is going viral after the response from the school.
A mother of a high school football player said her son’s teammates placed peanuts in his locker despite knowing he was allergic. Despite that, the dangerous act was not considered bullying by the school district.
When Carter Mannon was in his sophomore year at Texas’ Lake Travis High School last October, his teammates got suddenly curious about his peanut allergy, the teenager’s mom, Shawna Mannon, explained to People.
Carter’s nut allergy was no secret at Lake Travis High School, especially after an accidental exposure during his freshman year sent him to the emergency room.
“They were kind of joking around about it and they said, ‘But could it kill you if it touched you?’ And he says, ‘Yeah, it absolutely could.’ If it got in his nose, eyes, or mouth, that’s where it would go into anaphylactic shock. And so he told them, ‘Yes, it could absolutely kill me’,” Shawna described.
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The Mayo Clinic says during anaphylactic shock, “blood pressure drops suddenly, and the airways narrow, blocking your breathing. The pulse may be fast and weak, and you may have a skin rash. You may also get nauseous and vomit.”
“Anaphylaxis needs to be treated right away with an injection of epinephrine. If it isn’t treated right away, it can be deadly.”
Carter’s teammates did not care what it could do to him and decided to place peanuts in his locker anyway.
“Then, the next day before the game, they went in and they had put peanuts in his locker, on his jersey, and in his cleats,” Shawna said.
“It was a can of peanuts that they just kind of scattered throughout his locker and put in his cleats. One of the boys came back and tried to kind of clean up a little bit, but the residue was there, the damage had been done.”
Carter got to his locker to get dressed as peanuts fell out everywhere. Almost immediately, hives began to break out on his arm.
Following the incident, after nothing was done by the school, Shawna Mannon appealed to the school board for more stringent action. However, the school district cited the Texas Education Code and did not classify the incident as bullying, sparking outrage and a call for redefining bullying to include such endangering actions.
Carter’s family is frustrated and upset by the decision from the school district: “I am obviously disappointed. I don’t know what else to call it,” says Carter’s mom Shawna Mannon.
