When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong: Vegan-Style

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Sep 11, 2007 4:48PM

Dave Warwak was just another mild-mannered middle school art teacher in Anywhere, USA (actually Fox River Grove Middle School in McHenry County). Then, in January, he switched to a vegan diet, sold his boat and fishing tackle from his side job as a fishing guide, and became politicized on the issue of animal rights. Last week Warwak handed his students a book by John Robbins titled The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and the World, addressed animal cruelty issues with the class, and recommended they stop eating meat. Warwak's bosses promptly removed him from his duties when he refused to stop talking about it with the students.

At a meeting yesterday with school officials and representatives from the Fox River Grove local school district, Warwak had two choices: apologize for his actions and go back to work, or keep it real. Warwak decided, "F@%# that! I keeps it real!" and vowed not to return to work until the school removed milk and all animal products from the lunch menu. Going even further in his quest to keep it real, Warwak indicated that he might file child-endangerment charges with the McHenry County State's Attorney's office because the school promotes milk and animal products as part of a healthy diet. McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi said that he would look at the child-endangerment statute,to placate Warwak see if they had a case, but that Warwak and his attorney would have to "prove intent. (The school district) is just trying to feed kids."

Meanwhile, Warwak isn't working and receiving platitudes from an echo chamber of fellow vegans for taking a stand. So here's to you, Dave Warwak. From teaching students how to paint with watercolors to demanding they stop drinking chocolate milk and eating all-American hot dogs, you are an example of when keeping it real goes wrong.

Cartoon courtesy of www.vegetariansareevil.com. We don't agree with that, by the way.