Cuomo Announces ‘Meal Shaming’ Has Ended In All Schools

Governor Andrew Cuomo says all schools in New York State have adopted plans to end "meal shaming" of students who do not have money for lunch.

It's part of the Governor's "No Student Goes Hungry" program.

Cuomo says the schools have successfully adopted and submitted a plan to the State Education Department that will address how they prohibit meal shaming and how meal debt will be communicated to parents.

The schools are also prohibited from engaging in other actions that would shame students or cause embarrassment due to insufficient funds for a school meal or having outstanding school meal debt.

Meal shaming is a practice in some schools where children are publicly humiliated in front of their peers by adults for not having money for lunch.

"No child should ever go hungry - especially at school - and students should never be humiliated or denied a well-rounded meal just because they can't pay," Cuomo said. "This significant milestone in our No Student Goes Hungry Program will ensure all children get a healthy meal in school even if they don't have lunch money and provide a supportive learning environment so every student can succeed."

All school plans have been posted on the schools' websites.