Tuesday night’s Seminole County School Board meeting was a scorching debate over face mask requirements for children.
The Seminole School district has decided to vote on repealing the mask mandate next month while many parents are demanding for it to be repealed now.
One parent stood at the podium to say, “You think holding our children hostage to these mask mandates, which have been proven to be ineffective to prevent COVID, time and time again, is helping your case to keep our students in a hostage situation where it seems your only concern is the teachers union? Yeah, I said it! Teachers union! That’s who you guys are protecting. Then force masks on them!”
Leslie Kirshenbaum who stood at the podium also noted how Chick-Fil-A ended their mask policies for employees and the University of Florida ending their mask policy that was effective immediately.
“We voted you in. We thought you would have the best interest of our children, but it seems you’re playing politics instead. It’s no secret you don’t work for us, but for the teachers union. You’re supposed to do what’s right by our children. So protect them by taking these masks off! And as a requirement, let them be a choice,” Kirshenbaum continued.
During that meeting, a woman was asked to leave after questioning a Superintendent if he was vaccinated which he thought was inappropriate according to footage posted by Fox 35 on Twitter.
Woman asked to leave when she disrupted meeting and asked the Superintendent if he was vaccinated. He replied that’s inappropriate. #Fox35 @fox35orlando pic.twitter.com/YKoZw3ilho
— Valerie Boey Ramsey (@vboey) May 11, 2021
Another parent, Jessica Tillman also stated to the board, “We have repeatedly provided you with research articles, data, and information that clearly states children should not be masked. You continue to ignore all of it. This policy has nothing to do with kids’ health. It’s based on irrational fear. Our governor has provided you with data, recommendations, and research offered by credible sources and you ignore it with no explanation of why. Our governor is now suing the CDC for their masking children recommendations.”
“So where is your support, data, and research that you are using to continue making our children? Continuance and false sense of security are neglectful excuses to keep this in place. The Commissioner of the Florida Department of Education sent you a letter stating there was no difference in data for districts with or without a mandate. It is shameful that you refuse to discuss this policy with any supporting details or data and turn a blind eye to actual facts and research. You allow teachers who have been fully vaccinated for months to continue to wear a mask and a face shield, fear-mongering, healthy children,” Tillman questioned.
“The tide is turning against coronavirus-restricting measures in Central Florida’s public schools. Both Volusia and Seminole County started the process of ending their mask mandates for students and faculty this week. At the same time, Orange County Public Schools axed an online education program that had kept kids out of in-person schools through the pandemic,” Orlando Weekly reported.
The outlet also found that Seminole Country decided after the long debate, they will start on the path towards ending the mask mandate. The school board is required to wait 28 days before voting on ‘an eventual repeal of their mask policy.’
“Many in the audience, while in favor of removing the mandate, told WESH 2 News they didn’t think the school board went far enough,” reported by WESH.
“They’re voting yes, but it’s not going to benefit the children for the remaining days of school, and I think that it’s a cop out,” one parent told the outlet.
Watch what some parents had to say at the school board meeting below!