Teachers are not allowed to put sunscreen on students in Washington, and kids can only put it on themselves if they have a doctor’s note.
(Erica Ritz) Jesse Michener is outraged after her two daughters returned home from a school field day with what she described as “hurts to look at” sunburns because they weren’t allowed to put on sunscreen.
Michener said it was raining in the morning so she didn’t put sunscreen on the girls before they left, but even if she had, she noted that they would still have had to reapply it at some point. And there’s the rub– apparently, teachers are not allowed to put sunscreen on students in Washington, and kids can only put it on themselves if they have a doctor’s note.
Michener wrote her own account of what happened on her blog, after explaining that she is particularly irritated because one of her daughters has a documented form of Albinism that makes her extra sensitive to the sun:
…after seeing the kids upon returning home from work, I immediately went to the school to speak with the principal. Her response centered around the the [school's] inability to administer what they considered a prescription/medication (sunscreen) for liability reasons. And while I can sort ofwrap my brain around this in theory, the practice of a blanket policy which clearly allows for students to be put in harm’s way is deeply flawed. Not only does a parent have to take an unrealistic (an un-intuitive) step by visiting a doctor for a “prescription” for an over-the-counter product, children are not allowed to carry it on their person and apply as needed. Had my children gone to school slathered in sunscreen (which they did not, it was raining), by noon – when the sun came out – they would have needed to reapply anyway. Something as simple as as sun hat might seem to bypass the prescription issue to some extent. Alas, hats are not allowed at school, even on field day.
Read more: The Blaze
