Subscribe to our Daily Digest newsletter. Join the more than 9,000 readers who rely on Daily Digest for the latest happenings. Our newsletter is free and arrives in your inbox on weekday mornings. I hope you try it. -- Jesus Sanchez, Publisher
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Eagle Rock -- A high school student is part of a federal lawsuit against the school district for hindering her efforts to present information about alternatives to dairy milk at Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High School.
Marielle Williamson, head of the school's Animal Awareness Club, attempted to share information regarding the health concerns of drinking cow's milk, the limited access to plant-based milk products at schools, and other issues.
The 17-year-old's plans, however, were derailed when the principal required her to include material supporting cow's milk at an information table outside the cafeteria.
"The posters that I was supposed to show were contrary to my message," said Williamson, who lives in Silver Lake.
The advocacy group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine filed the lawsuit last week on Williamson's behalf and against L.A. Unified, district administrators and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It seeks to protect her "First Amendment right to peacefully engage in student speech that exposes the harms caused by consuming dairy products," according to the filing.
The lawsuit challenges federal rules prohibiting those affiliated with a school district from impacting the marketing or sale of cow's milk if a campus participates in the National School Lunch Program, said Deborah Press of the Physicians Committee.
Press said the lawsuit seeks an injunction against enforcement of the rule, which is "overly broad and vague," and nominal damages of $1 from LAUSD.
L.A. Unified said it doesn't comment on ongoing legal matters. But a district statement said it "takes pride in empowering students to amplify their voice" and supports students with "healthy alternatives for those who have specific dietary requests and requirements."
The lawsuit reflects Williamson's values. She became a vegan even though it meant giving up some of her mother's meals that included dairy and meat. "What do I value more? These foods or the life of animals?" she said in an interview.
The high school senior won't be around when her case goes to court. Williamson is graduating this year and is headed to Duke University's campus in China. There she will work on her Mandarin skills and major in environmental science and public health before planning to attend law school.
The lawsuit "should be resolved by the time I'm in law school," she said.
🎒 More school news
Garfield hoops hauls in ring donations
East L.A.: Garfield High School has raised more than $15,000 to purchase championship rings for its basketball team, KTLA reported. The Garfield boys basketball team made school history in February when it beat Arleta High 47-42 to bring home the Division III City Section Championship. As of Monday afternoon the fundraiser had brought in $15,583. KTLA
How to green up your school
Highland Park: L.A. school board member Rocio Rivas will host a Northeast Community Meeting on Tuesday, May 16 at Luther Burbank Middle School about community schools and greening up your campus.
209 Monthly Reader Sponsors and Counting!
We are grateful to all those who have made financial contributions to The Eastsider. One-time contributions are always welcome, but we encourage you to join the ranks of our Reader Sponsors who have committed to making a monthly contribution.
Our goal is to have 300 Reader Sponsors by the end of 2023.
Why is this so important? Even a small monthly contribution will create a more stable source of revenue, giving us more confidence to commit to expanding our staff to provide you with more of the community news you can’t find anywhere else.
Join The Eastsider 300
I hope we can count on you. And, if you are not ready for a monthly commitment, you can always make a one-time contribution. Thanks!
—Jesús Sanchez, Publisher
PS: The Eastsider is a private company. Your contribution is NOT tax deductible.
Monica Rodriguez is a freelance writer. She has more than two decades of experience in daily journalism working for news publications in Pennsylvania and California. She is a product of Boyle Heights and continues to call the community home.
Wow, how inspiring! She is fighting the government and the USDA, who subsidize animal products. My daughter is not offered an alternative at her high school either. It is astounding that they require false info about how milk is good for you, especially when the great majority of the district are POCs, who are mostly lactose intolerant. And then there are so many others who want the healthier choice for their body and environment as well as those who care about animal welfare. At least they do offer numerous vegan and vegetarian meals, a great start, so perhaps there is hope? I really hope this creates change and awareness on the subject, especially in a school setting, where they really need to teach the truth, not the falsehoods perpetuated by the dairy industry/govt pushing their products on our youth.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
Stay on top of the news with our Daily Digest newsletter. Just enter your email address below and hit the Sign Up button. FYI: We don't sell our email lists to protect your privacy.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Post a comment as Guest
Report
Watch this discussion.
(2) comments
It’s unfortunate that the school
lunch program’s primary consideration is the health and welfare of big agriculture.
Wow, how inspiring! She is fighting the government and the USDA, who subsidize animal products. My daughter is not offered an alternative at her high school either. It is astounding that they require false info about how milk is good for you, especially when the great majority of the district are POCs, who are mostly lactose intolerant. And then there are so many others who want the healthier choice for their body and environment as well as those who care about animal welfare. At least they do offer numerous vegan and vegetarian meals, a great start, so perhaps there is hope? I really hope this creates change and awareness on the subject, especially in a school setting, where they really need to teach the truth, not the falsehoods perpetuated by the dairy industry/govt pushing their products on our youth.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.