The other day, Jason Bennett was talking with his eighth-grade son about mask mandates at his Poway* Unified school and fellow students’ frustrations at Oak Valley Middle.
Bennett, 42, who owns Flippin’ Pizza franchise locations in Carmel Mountain Ranch and 4S Ranch, said he later heard from a mom who claimed her daughter was denied lunch for not wearing a mask.
On Wednesday, he began offering a free slice of New York foldable pizza to any student banished from class.
Asked for comment, Poway Unified spokeswoman Christine Paik said via email: “We would never prevent a child from eating their lunch.”
On Facebook, someone circulated a flier that said “Calling all kids!!!! Flippin Pizza is offering a free pizza slice for any student that gets kicked out of class for being unmasked.”
The graphic said students could “take a pic” or use the honor system to claim their slice.
“Let freedom ring,” it concluded, listing addresses of the shops on Dove Canyon Road and Carmel Mountain Road.
Who created the flier?
Bennett has no idea.
He says he first saw the flier via email.
“I texted a parent who the day before [saw her] kid kicked out of class,” he told Times of San Diego in a phone interview. “Anybody who gets kicked out of class for peacefully protesting — and that was my big thing, not a political statement. … The fact that the kids are exercising their rights to peacefully protest. I wanted to reward them for that.”
At the Carmel Mountain Ranch Town Center store, a shift manager who gave only his first name, Morgan, said the free-slice offer isn’t being done out of defiance.
Instead, it’s about “encouraging kids to express their constitutional rights to peacefully protest. … My boss [Bennett] talked to me about it today.”
Meanwhile, the San Diego Unified School District updated its outdoor masking policy and lifted restrictions Wednesday on field trips, allowing students, staff and others on school grounds the option of no longer wearing masks outdoors.
The district will keep its indoor mask mandate in place for schools through at least Feb. 28.
According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, Poway Unified informed parents Monday that state officials are not yet lifting the temporary indoor mask mandate for schools.
“Schools in the district will be out of season from Feb. 21 to 25, the letter noted. Officials said they will continue to monitor any changes and will update parents accordingly,” said the U-T report Wednesday.
Flippin’ Pizza has about 20 locations nationwide, mostly in the East, including Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, D.C. and Texas.
Bennett — who served in the Marines between 1998 and 2004 (deployed to South Korea and Japan) — said he’s not a member of any activist group.
He’s owned the two franchises for 12 years and been with the brand longer than its CEO.
“I didn’t clear it with anyone corporatewide,” he said. After getting an inquiry from KUSI, he called the chain’s CEO, “but he didn’t pick up the phone.”
The flier “kind of caught fire pretty quickly,” Bennett said.
How long will the free-slice offer last?
“I wouldn’t say as long as it takes,” he said. “Kids are getting kicked out of class because they’re not wearing their masks, and they’re not getting a lunch. They can kind of count on Flippin’ to make sure they get a slice of pizza.”
Reactions on social media weren’t all approving.
“Guess I am not supporting them anymore,” said one.
Said another: “DAMMIT! WE USED TO LOVE THEM! DELETING THEIR APP NOW.”
At the Carmel Mountain store, manager Morgan at 3:15 p.m. said nobody had yet come in for free pizza. School had just let out.
An earlier version of this report incorrectly said Bennett’s son attended a San Diego Unified school.
