46°
Massapequa School Board trustees unanimously approved a filing of a lawsuit against the state in an effort to make it optional for parents to determine whether or not to have their children wear facial coverings in school buildings.
Last week, the district announced that it was going against its original stance and would be complying with the state’s mask mandate for students, much to the consternation of some parents, who have recently been protesting and holding rallies for their cause.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently said that children are “resilient” while calling for all students statewide to wear masks when they return to the classroom, though circumstances could change, depending on the COVID-19 numbers in certain regions.
“It’s been a brutal year and a half for children who have been denied that normal support system and many are not getting an education,” she said. “Parents tried their best, but we can no longer hemorrhage the education of our children.
“So we’ll have them masked … Kids are resilient. They can handle a mask on their face.”
According to reports, the Locust Valley School District is also expected to join Massapequa in the lawsuit, which was to be filed in Albany County Court on Friday, Sept. 10.
“Neither the health commissioner nor the new governor, Kathy Hochul, have the power to establish a statewide mask mandate policy as an emergency health measure,” Massapequa School Board President Kerry Wachter said this week in a prepared statement.
“Masking all students from unvaccinated 3-year-old pre-kindergarteners to vaccinated 18-year-old seniors is not universally accepted by scientists and educators as beneficial in all circumstances when weighed against the negative effect it has upon education, especially of young children.”
Click here to follow Daily Voice Massapequa and receive free news updates.
