Confirmed victory
Petitioning The Walt Disney Company and 2 others

Disney Channel: Stop bullying gluten-intolerant characters

My children were diagnosed with celiac disease almost eighteen months ago. Since that time, we have relearned how to purchase, prepare and cook foods and must eliminate all sources of gluten from their diets. Eating out, going to parties, even going to school have proven to be challenging for my children, not least because of the reactions of other people to their dietary restrictions.

May is National Celiac Awareness Month, so watching an episode of the Disney Channel show ‘Jessie’ titled ‘Quitting Cold Koala’ ( in which a boy who must avoid gluten was made fun of, humiliated and isolated was extremely upsetting to my children.

Approximately 1 in 133 Americans suffer from celiac disease, most without knowing it. Many more cannot tolerate gluten for a variety of reasons. For celiacs, ingesting gluten leads to the destruction of the small intestine, eventually leaving the body unable to absorb vital nutrients, leading to diseases from lymphoma to osteoporosis, infertility and miscarriage, failure to thrive and decreased stature. Celiac sufferers experience severe diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue and other abdominal symptoms, sometimes along with skin disorders and other severe conditions.

In the Jessie episode, a young boy was said to require a gluten-free diet. The other characters snickered at this requirement, and in fact threw a pancake at the child, which could have actually triggered a severe skin rash known as dermatitis herpetiformis. The boy was made to be annoying, sniveling, and demanding, repeatedly teased and excluded by the other children.





Letter to
The Walt Disney Company
Executive Producer, Jessie, Disney Channel Pamela Eels O'Connell c/o Rachel Fox
The Walt Disney Company
The characters on your show bullied a boy because of his illness and the gluten-free diet he needs to treat it. No one should be harassed because of any disease, disorder or disability. Stop airing the Jessie episode 'Quitting Cold Koala', and take this opportunity to educate others about celiac disease and why a gluten-free diet is life-saving for millions of people.