School canteen ban: Hocking Primary student refused lunch over bizarre P&C quarrel with mum Natalie Durer

A primary school canteen in WA has refused to serve one student for more than a year because of a bizarre quarrel with his mother that even high-level Education Department bureaucrats can’t resolve.

Canteen staff from Hocking Primary School, in Perth’s northern suburbs, slapped the ban on 11-year-old Jaxon Durer-Sparks in August last year after his mother, Natalie Durer, sent them a rude, inflammatory email accusing them of forgetting his lunch order and leaving him hungry.

Principal Mike Wills hauled her over the coals for the tone and content of her email, which suggested staff were incompetent and stupid.

Ms Durer has since acknowledged her email was out of line and that her first attempt at a written apology — the single word “sorry” — was inappropriate.

She claimed she had made repeated attempts to resolve the issue with the school’s Parents and Citizens group, which runs the canteen.

Ms Durer said her child was feeling ostracised because he could not order a toastie for lunch like every other kid.

She claimed that when Jaxon’s friend tried ordering his favourite meal of butter chicken on his behalf, his mum was told he would also be banned if he did it again.

Ms Durer said she felt as though her son was the one being punished, even though “he did nothing wrong”.

“We teach our children that if your words or actions hurt people, that you should apologise, atone for what you’ve done, ask for forgiveness and move on,” she said.

Education Department bureaucrats from the North Metropolitan Regional Office, who tried to negotiate on Ms Durer’s behalf, told her the P&C would reconsider its stance if she offered a written apology.

But they also noted the P&C was an incorporated body in its own right and not governed by the department.

In May, Ms Durer tried another written apology which stated Jaxon was being “unfairly treated and isolated” because of a misunderstanding that had escalated.

“For my son’s sake, let me apologise unreservedly for any issues that have come out of my emailing the ladies of the canteen,” she wrote.

On Wednesday, Ms Durer received a letter from the Hocking P&C executive confirming the canteen ban would remain.

“As an employer, we have an obligation to our canteen staff to abide by the WHS regulations in providing a safe physical and online working environment,” it said.

“We also follow the Hocking Primary School behaviour management plan and code of conduct whilst on school grounds.”

The letter said the email Ms Durer sent last year with comments such as “Can you actually read?”, “You clearly have no ability to do this job”, “I am furious with the utter incompetence you continue to display, you need to get a new career as you are way too stupid and lacking in social skills to continue to do this one”, “If I could report you to DCP for child abuse I would,” did not align with those policies.

“To protect our staff from further abuse and allegations, we have directed canteen staff to no longer fulfil orders from your family or other parties on your behalf.”

North Metropolitan Region director Cheryl Townsend confirmed the department was aware of a decision made by the school’s P&C group involving a student.

“We have been working with the parent group to try and reach a resolution that is in the best interests of the child,” she said.

“While inappropriate behaviour toward volunteers and paid canteen workers is never appropriate, schools manage these situations to ensure positive relationships within school communities are maintained, as this is essential to the efficient running of schools.

“We will continue to mediate between the P&C and the parent and work towards a positive resolution.”