On Tuesday, April 26 during D lunch, students watched as two lunch ladies engaged in a physical altercation. While rumors were made regarding the situation, Principal Case provided information  to set things straight.

• The lunch ladies who fought were not full time employees at West Potomac.

The two lunch ladies involved in the altercation were both contracted by the Department of Food Services, meaning they were not affiliated with the school in any way, shape or form. 

“The two employees in question were substitute food service workers,” Case said. “So they were just here for that day.”

This means that the situation was not a West Potomac problem; the disagreement could have taken place at any Fairfax County public school, the two workers just happened to be assigned to West Potomac for the day. 

• According to Principal Case, the cause of the dispute was chicken tenders

He informed parents at a PTSA meeting and staff members at an after school meeting that the dispute was caused by chicken tenders.

• The two lunch ladies will most likely be fired.

The lunch ladies who fought were food service employees, which means the school does not have the authority to decide on the repercussions.

However, Case stressed that if students are given consequences for fighting, then it would be hypocritical of the county to not give consequences that are just as serious to staff members that engage in the behavior displayed in the incident. 

Even though he and the school have no say in the punishment of the food service workers, Case said that, “[Their termination] would be a reasonable assumption.”

People who fight on school grounds will face consequences, it does not matter if they are students or staff members.

• Students do not need to worry about their lunch staff engaging in that kind of behavior on campus.

Case was adamant in his argument that the actions of these two temporary employees do not represent the rest of the school’s servers.

“[The fight] was an isolated event,” he said. “We want everyone to feel safe here.”