Residents voice concerns, opposition to mask mandate at Grayson Co. Board of Education meeting

school-board-meeting-08-13
school-board-meeting-08-13

On Tuesday, Gov. Andy Beshear said in response to the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant and recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, students and staff members will be required to wear a mask while in school.

On Thursday night, around 150 attended the Grayson County Board of Education meeting at the district’s central office to protest the mask mandate.

Several people voiced opposition to the mandate for a variety of reasons, with some threatening lawsuits while others said they would pull their children out of school if the board opted to enforce the governor’s mandate.

After about an hour of attendees voicing their opinions and concerns, the meeting transitioned into shouting and cursing, resulting in Leitchfield police clearing the room, as Superintendent Doug Robinson ended the meeting.

Robinson, who said multiple times during the meeting that the district would enforce the governor’s executive order and the Kentucky Department of Education’s emergency regulation mandating masks, spoke with several people who approached him in the meeting room after the session was brought to an end.

The mask mandate states that all teachers, staff, students, and visitors must cover their nose and mouth with a face covering when indoors in all public and private preschools, Head Starts, elementary, middle and high schools. Masks must also be worn inside vehicles used for transportation, such as school buses, regardless of vaccination status.

The mandate also calls for all staff, visitors and children ages two and older, who are able to wear a face covering, to cover their nose and mouth when indoors in all childcare settings, regardless of vaccination status.

“We are in the midst of the fastest surge that we have ever seen during COVID right now,” Beshear said Tuesday. “This move is supported by medical organizations, local health department leaders, businesses and education leaders. It is also supported by the Kentucky Chamber, representing 3,800 member businesses across the commonwealth. This is a united front of saving lives, keeping our kids in school and keeping our economy and workforce going.”

By Ken Howlett, News Director

Contact Ken at ken@k105.com