Carroll ISD board votes to end mask mandate June 1 after contentious meeting
For over three hours Monday night, parents and students called for an immediate end to the Carroll school district’s mask mandate and called for school board president Michelle Moore to resign over her handling of a controversial diversity plan.
The board voted 5-0 on Monday night to lift the mask mandate and allow students and staff to choose whether to wear masks starting June 1.
During a presentation from the district’s COVID-19 task force, parents repeatedly shouted at school administrators, saying, “you are scaring our children,” and “stop making them wear medical devices.”
Moore repeatedly asked audience members to hold off on their applause and to be respectful, or she would have them removed from the room. She halted proceedings several times during the meeting, calling 10-minute recesses.
Superintendent Lane Ledbetter said the task force recommended the June 1 date because lifting the mandate sooner would disrupt the STAAR test where all students must be in the school buildings.
He also said that survey results show that half of the teachers and students want the mask mandate to remain in place.
“I realize that is not the answer that all of you want. My hope is that as a community, you will understand the situation we’re in,” he said. “I think we are certainly moving toward fall being a return to normal and moving toward no virtual instruction.”
Carroll is going forward with prom and graduation. Both events will include social distancing.
Head nurse Karen Flexer, who serves on the task force, said she must protect all students and that there are more than 300 who are medically fragile.
But parents and some students were adamant in calling for board members to end the mask mandate starting Tuesday morning, stating there were studies supporting harmful medical and emotional effects from wearing masks.
Audrey Hughes, a 12-year-old student, said she is tired of wearing a mask in school.
“We were created to have our faces seen, not hidden. Please give us our Constitutional freedom,” she said.
People in the audience also spoke against the district’s Cultural Competence Action Plan, which has been put on hold because of an ongoing legal battle, while others spoke in favor of having a plan to protect all students.
Kristin Garcia, a Southlake parent who is suing the school district over the diversity plan, alleging that it promotes leftist ideology, said that 70% of the voters gave a clear message that they wanted change Saturday when they voted for school board candidates who don’t support the diversity plan.
“Dr. Ledbetter, 70% is anything but a minority. We are a vocal majority. It’s time to right this ship.”
Another parent, Shawn Stapleton said, “Michelle Moore, did you get the message? Any attempt to indoctrinate our children will be met with swift legal action as you have seen. God bless Southlake. God bless America.”
Other speakers said they were horrified by the vitriol, and implored school officials to protect all students.
“I’m here to advocate for all marginalized students,” Roshni Chowdhry said. “Right now, I am just appalled at this community,” she said.
Chowdhry described losing friends and family to COVID-19.
Robin Cornish told people fighting for inclusion and diversity not to give up.
“Malicious bigotry has been spewed. No matter how difficult and dark things are for those fighting for inclusion, do not give up,” Cornish said. “Dust yourself off, stand up, stay in the fight; the war is not over.”