Boy, 10, pushes to end lunch shaming in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — Ryan Kyote of California is visiting Rhode Island, but he's not just any other tourist.

Kyote, 10, is considered a hero: a Time Magazine Hero of 2019.

The boy received the honor this week, but earned the title in the spring, when he saw students being denied meals because their families owed the school money on the news.

"The cafeteria person said 'you don't have enough money so you need to give it back'," he said. "So she went to the end of the line. Kids of all ages started making fun of her so she started crying."

Ryan took action and paid off the lunch debt at his school.

"I had my chore money and I did chores for 6 months and it came up to 74 dollars and 80 cents," Ryan said.

The boy's generosity sparked a national discussion and legislation.

California's governor signed a bill into law in October that banned schools from providing alternative lunches, or no food at all, to students with lunch debt.

Now, Ryan is visiting states and sharing his story with lawmakers like Rep. Marcia Ranglin-Vassell (D-Providence).

"We've got to feed kids, it's non-negotiatible," Ranglin-Vassell said.

Ranglin-Vassell is a teacher in Providence. She is introducing a similar bill to California's that would ban lunch shaming.

"For so many children, school lunch is the only hot meal they'll get on any given day. I know this as a fact. Providence knows this as a fact," Ranglin-Vassell said.

In October, Providence expanded its free lunch program to all students, but not every local district does this.

This spring, Warwick public schools sparked outrage over its plan to deny students hot lunches and serve them sun utter sandwiches.

Organizations and donors, like Chobani yogurt company, stepped up to pay the nearly $80,000 in lunch debt.

"It's not Chobani's job to feed children in Rhode Island," Ranglin-Vassell. "I think that's really good, but that's not sustainable. Government needs to step up and do its job."

This will be Ranglin-Vassell's fourth time pushing this bill. She believes this time, it has enough momentum for it to pass.

"The child is leading us and I think it will make a difference," she said.

Ryan said when he found out he was receiving the Time Magazine honor he screamed.

"Heroes come in all ages. It doesn't matter what age you are, you can be a hero," he said.