Texas Football Players Put Peanuts In Teammate's Locker Despite Knowing About His Severe Allergy

Back in October, 16-year-old Carter Mannon spoke to his varsity football team at Lake Travis High School, Texas, explaining how dangerous peanuts were for him and how even small contact could trigger a severe allergic reaction.

He wanted his teammates to understand that this was not something minor but a condition that could put his life at risk.

But despite Carter sharing this, he was stunned when, only hours before a big game, he discovered that peanuts had been intentionally placed inside his locker, scattered in his cleats, and even tucked inside his jersey.

It wasn’t an accident — someone had gone out of their way to make it happen.

Credit: Ewg3D / Getty

His mother, Shawna Mannon, told PEOPLE, "It was a can of peanuts that they just kind of scattered throughout his locker and put in his cleats."

She said one teammate tried to clean up the mess after realizing how serious it was, but by then it was too late — the damage had already been done.

Even the slightest residue of peanuts can be enough to cause a severe reaction for someone as allergic as Carter.

According to Shawna, her son immediately broke out in hives and began showing early signs of anaphylaxis, a dangerous and potentially fatal reaction.

She rushed to help him before it could escalate further.

Afterward, Shawna said the team’s reaction was split — some took the situation seriously, while others laughed it off as if it were just a prank.

She recalled, "One of the boys was sharing a video with the other teammates of them doing what they did. A bunch of them were kind of just laughing... A few of the boys did say, 'That's not cool, that could have killed him.'"

Carter decided to report what happened to the school administration.

The officials turned the case over to the athletic department, allowing them to decide on disciplinary action.

The students responsible were suspended from play for two days, reassigned to different locker rooms, and given extra laps during practice.

While one of the students later apologized, Shawna said the bullying didn’t stop.

Her son continued to face taunts in the hallways, with classmates flicking him or making comments as he passed by, adding emotional distress to an already terrifying experience.

It didn’t just affect Carter. His older sister, who also attends Lake Travis High, was teased by students who mocked the situation.

Concerned and frustrated, Shawna brought her case to the school board in November, prompting an internal investigation into bullying.

However, officials later ruled that the behavior didn’t meet the legal definition of bullying under Texas law, which classifies it as conduct that causes physical harm or substantially disrupts a student’s education.

The Lake Travis Independent School District later told PEOPLE that even though the incident didn’t fit the state’s legal definition of bullying, they still address any behavior that violates school policies or expectations, regardless of the law’s wording.

Credit: Heri Cahyono / 500px / Getty

Following the ordeal, Carter — who has lived with severe peanut allergies since infancy — transferred to another school.

His family no longer felt comfortable sending him back, fearing for his safety both physically and emotionally.

Reflecting on the incident, Shawna said, "I felt like the school is no longer a safe place for him, mentally, physically. I didn't trust the district anymore to keep him safe."

She has since filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and is pursuing a grievance process with Lake Travis ISD, hoping to hold the school accountable for how the situation was handled.

Shawna criticized the district for allowing the athletic department — rather than neutral administrators — to determine the punishment.

She told the Daily Mail that this decision showed a lack of seriousness in addressing the harm done to her son.

Beyond seeking accountability, she has also turned her focus toward advocacy, determined to protect other students with life-threatening allergies from going through the same kind of ordeal.

She explained her goals, saying, "We're working to get a law in place to protect kids with food allergies from attacks like this. We also want to redefine the definition of bullying in the state of Texas."

"When you ask somebody, 'Could this kill you?' and then you just do exactly what you just asked… This is not a prank or joke."