Parents returned to the Mars Area School Board meeting on Tuesday night to comment both in support of and against the state masking mandate.

Valencia resident Aaron Starkey read a definition of terrorism to the board, focusing on the language of “intending to coerce a civilian population.”

“Y’all are terrorists,” Starkey said before leaving the room. “It’s law, right here, written down.”

Lisa Redepenning of Valencia said the state mask mandate was “child abuse.”

“At some point, all of you who were voted in by all of us need to stand up and say I am not going to do what the government wants just because it has a hard hand,” Redepenning said. “I appreciate all that you do, but I will not just stand back and watch as my child suffers because all of you do not want to use that backbone and stand up to the government.”

Mars resident Beth Ziegler spoke from Zoom in support of the district’s enforcement of the mask mandate.

“I think the district and Dr. Gross made it very clear since July that if there is a mandate, we won’t be reckless, we will comply,” she said. “In addition, I don’t think the district pursuing any kind of litigation is a good use of taxpayer funds.”

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