Loudoun County Schools (VA) Suspend 29 Students For Refusing to Wear Masks at School

Loudoun County Public Schools Wednesday suspended 29 students for refusing to wear a mask.

After a week of sending students to auditoriums, libraries, offices, and gyms for not wearing a mask, school officials have ended the segregated accommodations.

SUSPENDED: Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia Wednesday suspended 29 students for not wearing a mask in school.https://t.co/RKFpWhnC1G

— WTVC NewsChannel 9 (@newschannelnine) February 3, 2022

The suspensions follow a week of sending students to auditoriums, libraries, offices, and gyms for not masking in school – but it appears the accommodations are over.https://t.co/SOUTUdNb3h

— KATU News (@KATUNews) February 2, 2022

KATU 2 reported:

WJLA recently spoke with students such as Nicholas Sanchez, who says he spent much of last week in his high school auditorium alone for not masking and was sent to an office later in the week.

He was one of hundreds of students who didn’t mask in school after Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order on optional masking went into effect.

“I was not surprised the school board would go to that extent to really suppress the protests that were going on,” Sanchez said.

Loudoun County schools suspends 29 students for refusing to wear masks https://t.co/4vmpNfIsYC

— Nick Minock (@NickMinock) February 2, 2022

As WJLA reported, Virginia school districts filed a lawsuit against Gov. Youngkin for his executive order to make mask wearing optional for kids in school.

The school boards in Alexandria City, Arlington County, City of Richmond, Fairfax County, Falls Church City, Hampton City and Prince William County are all part of that legal challenge. Together, the school districts say they have over 350,000 students and almost 50,000 teachers and school-based staff.

In court on Wednesday, Cafferky argued that the governor’s order violates a state law known as Senate Bill 1303, that says schools should follow the CDC’s guidance “to the maximum extent practicable.” The CDC currently recommends mask-wearing in schools.

Cafferky also argued that the governor’s order violates the Virginia constitution, saying the constitution gives local school boards authority over the supervision of public schools.

“Even without Senate Bill 1303, the governor’s executive order falls outside of his authority,” Cafferky told the judge.

Deputy Attorney General Steven Popps spoke in court on behalf of Youngkin, saying that Senate Bill 1303 does not require students to wear masks in schools. Popps also argued that the governor has “exceptionally broad power” to issue orders that address emergencies such as the coronavirus pandemic.

Popps cited several emergency actions that Youngkin’s democratic predecessor, Gov. Ralph Northam, took at the height of the pandemic. The deputy attorney general argued that Youngkin has the authority to make adjustments to the Commonwealth’s COVID response.

We’ll have a full wrap-up of today’s legal proceedings on @7NewsDC at 5 & 6 pm.

Judge Louise DiMatteo said “I’m not deciding who’s right or wrong on masking. It’s really about the hierarchy of authority.” pic.twitter.com/sFaZVcP4GC

— Heather Graf (@HeatherGrafTV) February 2, 2022

Loudon County didn’t wait until the judge’s decision and suspended students who refused to comply with mask mandates.

One school official threatened to arrest children who arrived maskless on school property.

An assistant principal from a Loudon County elementary school warned children who refused to wear a mask would be charged with “trespassing.”

Here’s the audio:

This is audio from the Assistant Principal of a Loudoun County elementary school informing parents that children who come back to school maskless will be charged with “trespassing”

In Virginia, trespassing is a Class I felony that holds a 12-month jail sentence or $2,500 fine pic.twitter.com/lawXgLIfI5

— Chrissy Clark (@chrissyclark_) February 2, 2022

It’s mind-blowing how far some of these child abusers are willing to go for children to stay muzzled in school. 

But it’s also an encouraging sight to witness more kids stand up to these tyrants. 

Hopefully, there are more school walkouts like this one reported earlier.