Lake Travis football parent wants board to act after alleged peanut allergy bullying incident

LAKEWAY — The mother of a Lake Travis High School football player who's severely allergic to peanuts implored the school board Wednesday night to take further action against two of his teammates who placed peanuts in his gym locker.

Shawna Mannon, whose son Carter is an offensive lineman for the Cavaliers, said he broke out in hives after teammates stuffed peanuts in his cleats and jersey Oct. 5, the day before Lake Travis' game against Del Valle. But it could have been much worse, Mannon said.

She told school board members that she was upset that the two players received only two-game suspensions for the incident. Her son's allergy is so severe that he carries an EpiPen wherever he goes. She received support from roughly two dozen parents at an emotional Lake Travis school board meeting.

The incident began when a group of players was discussing Mannon's peanut allergy, his mother said. At some point two teammates asked Mannon if he "could die" if he ate or had any contact with peanuts, she said, and he confirmed to them that, yes, it could be fatal.

Shawna Mannon said her son saw "scattered peanuts" in front of his locker the next day, and that when he took his game jersey off a hook, more peanuts spilled down. When he grabbed his jersey and shoes, she said, residue from the peanuts brushed against his arm, and about 30 seconds later, his arm broke out in hives. No other parts of his body were affected.

The incident was videotaped by the players in question, she said.

When Shawna Mannon learned about the incident — just hours before the game against Del Valle — she made a phone call to Lake Travis assistant coach AJ Antonescu, who coaches the offensive line, she said. A few minutes later, she said she received a phone call from Lake Travis head coach Hank Carter, who said he had been informed about the situation. Carter told her that the two players in question would not play in the game against Del Valle.

The next week, Shawna Mannon said, she and her husband had a 45-minute meeting with Carter in the coach's office. The Mannons believed the players should have been suspended from the school for 30 days and required to do community service, she said.

Carter "told me I would not be able to choose their discipline," Shawna Mannon said. "He was very cordial the whole time. He wasn't being mean. I said I understand I can't choose their discipline, but I think that's an acceptable place to start."

The two players also missed the next week's game against Anderson. They have been in uniform for the past five Cavaliers games; Lake Travis will compete in an area playoff game against San Antonio Johnson on Friday.

Paul Norton, the Lake Travis district's superintendent, addressed the matter in a letter last week to parents and the district staff. He noted that the district's police department had been notified about the incident. The police completed their investigation and sent their findings to the assistant district attorney's office.

Norton said "federal privacy laws" prevent him from speaking about the matter to the public or with the staff. He added that Carter, Lake Travis Principal Debbie Garinger and their administrative teams had reviewed all evidence and consulted with internal counsel. They applied "consequences" to the players who were at the center of the case.

Those consequences did not satisfy Mannon or her supporters who attended Wednesday's board meeting. Many wore teal ribbons in support of people with food allergies. One held up a sign that said, "Food Allergies are no joke."

One of those supporters, Charlene Burns, said she attended the meeting because she has a child who is allergic to tree nuts and wanted to show support for the Mannons.

"I had a lot of emotions after hearing about the incident," Burns said. "One, I was horrified. You can't help but identify with the victim and what he must have been going through at that moment. The concept of dying is very real to these kids (with food allergies).

"It doesn't have to be a locker full of peanuts. It could be a tiny speck of a peanut or whatever their allergen is. As a parent, you're terrified that this is a possibility that could happen. With the failure of holding these boys accountable, we're sending a message that it's OK to target these kids who have a disability."

Debra Taylor attended the school board to support the Mannons but also give harsh criticism to the school district.

"I am here to let the coach, the principal, the board of directors and the superintendent of schools know that their inaction on this is not acceptable," Taylor said.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Lake Travis football parent upset over penalty in peanut incident