Taranto: 9-year-old girl barred from school canteen over 12 euro meal debt

A debt dispute in Taranto

A nine-year-old girl in Taranto has been excluded from the school canteen since early November because of an unpaid meal debt from the previous school year. Her father, through the lawyer Fabrizio Del Vecchio, says the family was never told about the debt and would have paid it if they had known. The municipality says the arrears stand at 38 euros, above the 30 euro threshold its rules set for suspending meals, and that the family was warned in April. The father disputes both the explanation and the figure, saying the school first quoted him 38.40 euros and later sent a screenshot showing a negative balance of 12.80 euros. The family's notice puts the debt at about 12 euros.

How the pick-ups began

The school called the father during the first days of the canteen service in November and asked him to collect his daughter at 1 pm rather than 4:15 pm. Most reports date the first early pick-up to 2 November, although one account gives 3 November. Since then the girl has been taken out of the building before lunch, leaves her classmates behind and is brought back to class after the meal. Her parents have told her she eats at her grandmother's house because the grandmother cooks better, the lawyer told Fanpage. The lawyer says her place on the canteen portal is still blocked, and the parents were told she can rejoin the list only once the account is settled.

The municipality's account

The education councillor, Maria Lucia Simeone, described the case as an unpleasant episode that is still under review. She said the school's canteen contact had warned the family in advance so the girl could be collected before the break. Simeone also said the girl had eaten free of charge for several months and that the arrears were visible on the meal booking platform.

“An initial check shows that the girl was not denied her meal in front of her classmates at lunchtime.”

The father rejects that account. He says the school told him the matter was not its responsibility, while the municipality said his name was missing from the list and that a debt was recorded.

The legal challenge

The notice, sent on 6 November, demands that the canteen service be restored within 24 hours of receipt. Del Vecchio argues that the municipality may pursue ordinary debt recovery against the parents but cannot cut off a child's meal to do so. The notice cites the dignity of the child, the principle of equality and the best interests of the child under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It also says the exclusion exposes the girl to discrimination and isolation in front of her classmates. If the municipality does not respond, the lawyer says he will go to court, including to seek damages.

“If she is not readmitted as early as tomorrow, we will file an urgent appeal.”

What remains disputed

The amount is still contested, with figures of 38 euros, 38.40 euros, 12.80 euros and about 12 euros appearing in different accounts. The father says he was not informed of the arrears before the exclusion, while the municipality says it notified the family on 15 April. The municipality has opened a check into the episode. As of the latest reports on 6 November, the girl had still not been readmitted to the canteen.