Wonder Woman Lunchbox “Too Violent”?

A Reddit post has led to a viral story that a Wonder Woman lunchbox was deemed “too violent” by a school.

Violent Lunchbox?

A Reddit post dated August 25, 2015 included two images of a Wonder Woman lunch box along with a letter from a school. The letter is addressed to “Daniel and Sarah” and details reasons why such a lunchbox is deemed inappropriate.

Wonder Woman lunchbox and letter

Dear Daniel and Sarah, We noticed that Laura has a Wonder Woman lunchbox that features a super hero image. In keeping with the dress code of the school, we must ask that she not bring this to school. The dress code we have established requests that the children not bring violent images into the building in any fashion – on their clothing (including shoes and socks), backpacks and lunchboxes. We have defined “violent characters” as those who solve problems using violence. Super heroes certainly fall into that category. Please refer to the dress code section of the School Handbook. Your cooperation with our dress code will be appreciated.

The Reddit post includes a description, which reads, “Letter a friend of mine’s daughter received from school today. Her Wonder Woman lunchbox features a violent super hero that does not comply with the school’s dress code. Pictures of the lunchbox are also attached.”

Observations

Discussion on this topic falls into two categories: The veracity of the letter itself, and the merits of such a policy if true. While we’ll leave debate over such a policy to readers, we’ll focus on the veracity on the letter itself. Some key points noted in the discussion of this post include:

• The user who posted it has since deleted their account.
• Metal style lunchboxes are not common
• The parents’ last names are not used
• No identifying information regarding the school has been offered
• No one involved with the letter has verified it

While those points may be a compelling case against the letter’s veracity, they only fall into the realm of conjecture. For example, the statement that metal lunchboxes are not common is not entirely accurate. The lunchbox in the photo posted to Reddit can be found online for about $16. The fact that parents’ last names were not used could also be an indication that the teacher simply knows them on a first-name basis. One reader posted a link to the Waldorf school handbook, although it isn’t clear if this is the same school or merely an example. That handbook does include a ban on super heroes on school lunchboxes.

Since mealtimes are essentially social, we request that you leave lunch boxes bearing pictures of super heroes or violent characters at home, as they often distract the children and change the nature of their conversation and interaction with their peers.

Lynda Carter, who played Wonder Woman in the popular 1970’s TV series, weighed in on the story.

Parents told their daughter’s WW lunchbox is too “violent” for school! http://t.co/kYDOXo5ksJ — Lynda Carter (@RealLyndaCarter) August 26, 2015

Conclusion

Without more information to verify the story, it is impossible to know if the “violent” Wonder Woman lunchbox letter is real. There are examples of actual school handbooks which specifically ban super heroes on lunchboxes, so it is certainly possible. It would appear that the majority of writers online accept the story as true.