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Student Fights for Dairy-Free School Lunch Options

In May 2023, student activist Marielle Williamson took legal action against the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), asserting that her right to free speech had been violated. The conflict arose when Williamson, then a high school senior, was told she could not distribute materials criticizing the dairy industry unless she also shared pro-dairy viewpoints. While LAUSD settled with Williamson in November 2023, agreeing her rights had been infringed, a federal judge recently dismissed her case against the USDA due to her graduation and the previous settlement.

Williamson, now a college sophomore, remains undeterred. “This is one small setback on a long positive road to improving student health and increasing choice,” she said. “The longer the conversation on dairy propaganda continues, the more students can pressure the USDA to follow new health research and prioritize student health.”

Under current federal law, schools in the USDA lunch program are required to offer cow’s milk with every meal and are prohibited from promoting alternatives in ways that might decrease milk sales. Even providing water alongside milk in lunch lines can violate these rules. Critics argue that this policy disregards the needs of students who cannot digest lactose, a condition prevalent among many minority groups. At LAUSD, where approximately 75% of students are Latino/Hispanic, wasted cartons of untouched milk are a daily occurrence.

In their settlement, LAUSD introduced measures to improve access to dairy alternatives like soy milk. The school district also emphasized students’ right to critique dairy. Proceeds from the settlement funded a soy versus cow’s milk taste test in March 2024, which found soy milk to be popular among students.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which supported Williamson’s lawsuit, remains critical of the USDA’s policies. “Why is a food that most students can’t digest a staple of school lunch?” said Deborah Press, an attorney with the organization. Advocates point out that lactose intolerance disproportionately affects Black, Asian, Latino, and Native American students, raising concerns about equity and public health.

Efforts to address these issues are gaining traction. The Healthy Futures Students and Earth Act, currently proposed in Congress, seeks to eliminate federal barriers to accessing nondairy milk options in schools. Meanwhile, advocates continue to push for reforms, citing the need for inclusive policies that better reflect the diverse needs of America’s students.

For Williamson, the fight is far from over. “Students clearly need alternative, healthier options that are not damaging to the environment,” she said. “The conversation regarding the monopoly of dairy propaganda in schools has only just begun.”