A high school prank sparked outrage after football players at Lake Travis High School in Texas allegedly placed peanuts in a teammate’s locker despite knowing he had a potentially life-threatening allergy. Carter Mannon’s severe peanut allergy had been discovered when he was just nine months old, and his family had spent years taking precautions to keep him safe.

According to Carter’s mother, Shawna Mannon, the players scattered peanuts throughout his locker, jersey and cleats before a game. Carter had previously suffered a serious reaction after accidentally eating a contaminated cookie, requiring two doses of his EpiPen and emergency hospital treatment. After the locker incident, he reportedly developed hives on his arm, highlighting the potential danger of the prank.

Shawna said the students involved received limited consequences, including being benched for two days, changing locker rooms and completing extra running during practice. She also alleged that Carter faced verbal retaliation afterward, including an incident in which someone placed a peanut-butter granola bar in his backpack. Concerned about her son’s safety, she brought the matter to the school board, but the district reportedly concluded that the incident did not meet Texas’s legal definition of bullying.

The incident raised serious questions about school safety, accountability and the difference between harmless jokes and actions that could endanger someone’s life. Carter eventually transferred to another school. His family’s experience serves as a reminder that severe food allergies must be taken seriously and that deliberately exposing someone to a known allergen is not a harmless prank. Every student deserves to feel safe at school, especially among teammates who should be looking out for one another.