Mom says school staff fed her autistic son dog food for lunch

A mother in Wisconsin said someone at her son’s high school served him a can of dog food for lunch. (Source: WISC, DEBRA HAWKES, CNN via CNN Newsource)

MADISON, Wis. (WISC) — A Wisconsin mother is demanding answers after she said someone at her son’s high school served him a can of dog food for lunch.

Debra Hawkes’ son Jaden is a freshman at Madison East. He has autism and is nonverbal.

Hawkes said a few weeks ago, a high school staff member sent her a photo of a can of dog food that had been served to Jaden. Some of the food had clearly been eaten.

“He looked like he ate a little bit of something, at least three, four or five bites,” Hawkes said.

School staff also called Hawkes to confirm someone had given Jaden the can of dog food for lunch.

Hawkes said she does not see any way that this could have been an accident.

“If you can’t be safe in school, where could you be safe at?” Hawkes said. “If it was an accident … it can’t be an accident.”

To make matters worse, Hawkes said she was also concerned that her son could have injured himself on the can.

“You give an autistic child a can? That he could cut himself with. A plastic fork and a can, and you might as well give him a metal fork if you gonna give him a metal can. How is that an accident?” Hawkes said.

Jaden is usually nice and energetic, but after this incident, his mother said his moods have changed.

“Jaden hasn’t been himself,” Hawkes said.

Hawkes said she visited the school every day for about a week, trying to get answers.

Staff told her Thursday that the person who gave Jaden the dog food was fired.

The person’s name has not been released.

“My heart hurt. My heart is broken. I feel like I don’t got no control over what happens to my own kid,” Hawkes said.

The school district said it is still investigating the incident.

Copyright 2026 WISC via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.

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