SALT LAKE CITY (KTVX) Parents unhappy with classroom mask requirements have targeted school boards in several states with outbursts at public meetings and even lawsuits.
In Utah, police are investigating after the Granite School District was forced to abruptly end a school board meeting Tuesday evening following a disruption by anti-mask protestors. The protest comes less than two weeks before the end of the school year.
The board meeting was livestreamed on the district’s YouTube channel. At around the 40 minute mark of the video, those who are against the school district’s mask mandate became agitated, and chants of “no more masks!” filled the room.
Protesters then approached the front of the room where board members sat, abruptly ending the meeting.
Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley says the board meeting was going through its regular process until the public comment section.
“Several individuals approached board members in an effort to intimidate them, so the safety of the board and employees was a concern,” Horsley said.
According to Horsley, police from Granite School District and South Salt Lake were present and helped to de-escalate the situation.
“Police are investigating to identify the main aggressors and are evaluating appropriate legal action,” he said.
Horsley says the district’s mask policy was not on the board meeting’s agenda. Utah Governor Spencer Cox has gone on record saying that masks will not be required in Utah schools when the next school year begins.
One of the people who attended the meeting to protest the district’s mask policy was Mike Taylor.
Taylor says the main problem with forcing students to wear masks is that masks are “representative of submission.”
Over in Yukon, Oklahoma, another school board meeting was disrupted Monday night when a mother started screaming about mask requirements to applause from the audience.
“You gave our children non-medical masks! ” the woman screamed during the livestreamed event. “This isn’t about COVID, it’s about control!”
More than an hour into the meeting, a woman can be heard yelling “We elect you!” to the board members. At that point, the school board president asked security to escort her out.
Parents in Kansas are also fighting mask mandates, with one mother complaining about her children being isolated from classmates in the Shawnee Mission School District over their lack of masks.
“They do want me to get a paper filled out that says they are exempt, but I’m not going to be doing that,” Ruby Gonzales said. “To me, we’re done. We need to move forward.” When asked why she would not apply for an exemption, Gonzales replied, “We have a choice. Enough is enough. We’re not in jail.”
Also in Kansas, the parents of 10 Olathe and Blue Valley children are suing their school districts over mask mandates.
“All they’re asking is that their particular students be allowed to attend school without a mask,” said Linus Baker, the local attorney representing the parents in the civil lawsuit filed in Johnson County District Court on Monday. None of the families responded to requests to comment on the cases.
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The parental intimidation of the school board which was adament NOT to hear any objections to their mandates is nothing compared to the harm and intimidation the board is inflicting on the students they are supposed to care about. It was the boards refusal to acknowledge speakers with divergent opinions that caused the disruption of the meeting. It should be members of the board who should be investigated for malfiesance in office not parents wanting their concerns addressed.
100% it should be the board members who are investigated. This is just one more example of the systemic elitism by elected and unelected officials. They abuse their power constantly and cry foul because they think they are so superior to everyone they are supposed to be serving. They always seem to get away with their disgusting behavior because everyone else in power protects and defends their imaginary grievances.
IF anything, every parent there, should have called for an IMMEDIATE VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE in everyone on that board..
Every American citizen needs to erupt over this nonsense. And not just mask wearing, butall of the unnecessary regulations that have been imposed upon individuals and businesses. The so-called pandemic has been replaced by pandemonium—government interference and control while those who impose the regulations completely flaunt them and live their lives as they please.
Amen to all you said!
Well said. HELL even those who HAVE NO KIDS, since everyone PAYS FOR SCHOOLS< we should be allowed to speak at these 'school board' meetings..
The police are investigating the parents, who want their children to lead normal lives without masks. How sad our Country has come to this. The police will not go after antifa and blm, but they are going to investigate innocent parents, who wants what is best for their kids, namely a healthy environment, where kids can enjoy themselves and their friends.
This is all so upside down and backwards. All of these civil “servants” abuse their public who pay their salaries and benefits, and promote and protect only themselves, their positions and power.
I wonder, are these the same cops who were ordered to investigate the Klomsky’s, for DEFENDING THEMSELVES after BLM Had broken into their housing community??
Good for the Parents of America. Take back your children’s mental and physical health. Mask mandates should be passe’ today. Time to let things take their normal course and let the children be free and happy once again. Stop the brainwashing going on in schools. Let teachers only teach reading, writing and arithmeitic along with factual history of the inception of the world and our country without bias and prejudice. Scientists should stick to science and stop trying to rule the world. Fauci should be sent to China to live out his life because he is not interested in helping Americans.
Each tax-paying resident of a district should file a lawsuit against each individual either on a school board or in an administrative job within the system for violating the ASHRAE standards for CO2 exposure. After only several minutes of wearing, the mask causes the wearer to breath in air which contains several times the CO2 content recommended by the organization. BTW, compliance with ASHRAE recommendations is legally required in many jurisdictions.
Wonder if the fearless FBI will be arresting and jailing indefinitely these “criminals” peacefully demanding their rights? When does that start – when FEMA gets a new supply of tents?
THese days knowing what HACKS and KGB like thugs, the FBI has become, i wouldn;t be surprised to see everyone of these parents arrested and CHARGED with a crime..
BUT THEY DARE NOT go after even ONE RIOTER in blm or antifa…
A mask is a total waste of cloth.
Make more T-shirts with the mask material.