Oregon Superintendent Tells Parents How to Avoid Mask Mandate for Their Kids
A superintendent from Oregon has shared how parents can excuse their children from wearing face coverings, following the mask mandate in the state.
Earlier in August, the Beaver State introduced a mask requirement, or face shield, to be worn in all indoor spaces, including K-12 schools.
In response, Superintendent Marc Thielman of the Alsea School District shared information with parents claiming they can cite federal disability law to allow their kids to circumvent the new rules, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
He is quoted to have come up with the workaround after facing "huge, huge pushback" from parents. Thielman is said to have told concerned moms and dads they can apply for an exemption for their children under federal disability law.
Mask and vaccination rules vary across the country, with various states introducing increased measures in a bid to curb the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant. There are, however, exemptions often granted under certain medical, religious or philosophical grounds.
AP quoted the educator as saying he wasn't anti-mask, but was concerned about parental fears that the coverings can cause anxiety and headaches in students. He claimed this could impair their ability to learn, and qualify for an exemption under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Students in Thielman's district were meant to head back to classrooms on Monday, but the first day has been pushed back by a week to August 30 after an elementary staff member tested positive for COVID-19.
In a statement shared on Facebook on Friday, Thielman said: "This new Delta-COVID strain is creating new challenges, but I am very confident that Alsea is up for the challenge.
"Delaying our school year one week will serve to slow the spread of this virus and help remind all of us that the Pandemic is still very real. Please work with your student(s) on refreshing their COVID protocols and continue to monitor your kiddo's for symptoms. Prevention is the first line of defense and we all have the opportunity to do our part."
Referring to COVID-19, Thielman, who is planning on running for governor in 2022, told AP: "The majority of my parents are skeptical and are no longer believing what they're told. I've got a majority of my parents saying, 'Are there any options?'"
Although the strategy he put forward to parents may not be that straightforward as Laurie VanderPloeg, an associate executive director at the Council for Exceptional Children, warned federal law requires children to undergo formal testing to establish whether they could be exempt from the mask rule, AP stated.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown was shocked at Thielman's suggestion, airing her disdain in a recent letter to school staff, AP reported. The Democratic politician reportedly wrote she was appalled that the superintendent was "instructing students to lie" to get out of wearing a mask.
The Delta variant has put enormous pressure on our health systems and health care workers. I announced today that health care workers and K-12 educators, staff, and volunteers must be fully vaccinated to address Oregon’s hospital crisis and keep our kids safe this school year. pic.twitter.com/GXzzxQGNNt
— Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) August 19, 2021
Brown announced on August 19 that health care workers and school staff will need to be fully vaccinated by October 18, or six weeks after full Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, whichever is later.
"Our kids need to be in the classroom full-time, five days a week, and we have to do everything we can to make that happen. While we are still learning about the Delta variant, we know from previous experience that when schools open with safety measures in place, the risk of transmission is low.
"That's why I've directed the Oregon Health Authority to issue a rule requiring all teachers, educators, support staff, and volunteers in K-12 schools to be fully vaccinated," she said in the statement, unveiling the new measures.
This follows the move to make "face coverings or face shields" a requirement in all indoor areas, including classrooms, which was announced on August 13.
The state is currently grappling with a surge in cases of the Delta variant, with Brown claiming Oregon was facing a "hospital crisis."
"With over 845 Oregonians hospitalized for COVID-19 and 226 in ICUs, our hospital and ICU beds are over 93 percent full. Some hospital regions are beginning the day with two ICU beds available, or none at all," she said.
Newsweek contacted Thielman for comment.
