Parents at Union protest school mask mandate
A group of parents, along with some children, protested the Union School District's enforcement of the state order requiring students to wear face masks in school to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
About 20 people staged the protest Monday and Tuesday on private property adjacent to Union High School in Rimersburg, Clarion County.
The order issued by Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam went into effect Sept. 7 requiring students, teachers, other staff and visitors to wear face masks in school.
One of the protesters, Don Kimball, said any decision about students wearing masks in school should be made by parents and should not be mandated by the state.
“We think it should be a choice,” Kimball said.The state mandate was issued in a manner, “which right away tells a reasonable person there's something wrong,” Kimball said. “They didn't cite law, they threatened.”According to the state Department of Education website, school officials who fail to adhere to the order could lose the protection of sovereign immunity and may personally face lawsuits from those who may be affected by any official's attempt to ignore the order.Failing to implement or follow the control measures may expose individuals to personal liability under 42 Pa.C.S § 8550 (relating to willful misconduct), as well as other remedies as provided by law. Failure to implement and follow the control measures under the order also subjects a person to the penalty provisions of the Disease Prevention and Control Law of 1955.Kimball said the district is enforcing the order, but he believes some school board members don't agree with it.
“If you know it's wrong, they should stand up,” he said.District Superintendent John Kimmel there has been no official contact between the protesters and the district, but officials learned about it from social media.The protesters are being respectful by staying off district property and not disrupting classes, he said.However, Kimmel said he hopes parents who object to the mandate will take their argument to those who put it in place.The district, like many others across the state, is in a tough spot, he said. The district has to comply with the department's order, but many parents are opposed to it.“It's a shame for local communities,” Kimmel said.He said 95% of students are complying with the order, and those who don't are being staged in the gym until the school official contact their parents and try to resolve the issue.Some parents have chosen to enroll their children in online education programs, but the number of students not in compliance is expected to continue to decline.Kimmel said 5% of students didn't comply with the order Monday, and that number was down by a third today. He said other districts where some students haven't complied with the rule have informed him that all students eventually comply and he said that will happen in Union.Students who haven't complied have not faced suspension or other discipline, he said.
