Some 20 to 30 parents gathered outside the Box Elder County School District offices on Thursday afternoon to call for an end to their children being required to wear masks in class, according to a report from FOX 13.
Ever since Box Elder County moved to a “green” restriction status last Friday, Superintendent Steve Carlsen has been flooded with calls and emails from parents asking how this would impact the existing mask mandate for schools in the district, he told FOX 13. On Thursday, though, some of those parents decided to lodge their complaints in person.
Several parents told the television station that their children come home every day with a range of physical complaints, from headaches to dizziness. One parent, Natalie Doutre, told FOX 13 that even though her two children received a medical exemption from a doctor excusing them from the mask-wearing requirement, they are bullied by other students to put them on.
“If you want to wear a mask, wear a mask,” Doutre told FOX 13. “But don’t force me and my children to wear a mask.”
Carlsen reiterated to parents that the decision is out of his hands, that there is a state mandate for masks in schools, and that Gov. Gary Herbert and the State Board of Education would be responsible for making any change to the policy.
Read more at FOX 13.
The Salt Lake Tribune and FOX 13 are content-sharing partners.
