Virginia schools mask children in breach of law

"Sic semper tyrannis" - "Thus always to tyrants"

by Yudi Sherman

Numerous Virginia schools are defying Governor Glenn Youngkin’s executive order which outlawed mask mandates, instead segregating masked and unmasked students. Seven school districts filed lawsuits against the state this week so that they can continue forcing students to wear masks. Some schools are even refusing education outright to students who do not comply.

This led to standoffs this week between parents and schools, with the students being caught in the middle.

Students and parents gathered Monday morning at Woodgrove High School in rural Purcellville to shout encouragement to unmasked students who were entering school. “Be strong, kids!” they said. “You deserve to breathe … Freedom! Do you want it? Or do you want to be a slave to the school board? … Get rid of the bacteria.”

As reported in The Daily Wire, most students opt to comply rather than be penalized. “I think it’s bull...I think corona is kind of over,” a student said. But “I’m going to wear [a mask] because I don’t want to be sent home.”

But some students remain defiant. “It’s our parents’ rights that they are taking away from us. We’re told to listen to our parents. Now they are not listening. It’s about respecting the government. We followed [Democratic Gov. Ralph] Northam, they should follow Youngkin.”

Parents gave their children copies of Youngkin’s executive order and signed notes from their parents that they do not have to wear masks.

One parent said that the schools have “been hiding for two years behind the idea that they have to follow executive orders so their hands are tied. That’s why they kicked everyone out of school in March 2020.” 

At Banneker Elementary in Loudoun County, Megan Rafalski, whose child attends the fifth grade, said her son is being expelled for refusing to wear a mask Monday.

At Eagle Ridge Middle School, Tiffany Polifko said her 13-year-old son was sent out of class and ordered to do his schoolwork online. 

“Courage is contagious, said Polifko. “Some kids will take it off and when they see one kid without a mask then they’ll take it off too. And that terrifies Loudoun County because they are so afraid of these dirty kids without their masks, and they are so afraid to lose their power.”

At Chris Young Elementary in Prince William County, Jill Guercio walked her two children to school, where they were sent home by the principal for not wearing masks. Guercio brought them home rather than allow her children to be segregated.

A teacher at a Loudoun County Public School, Karen Mineo, said she was put on unpaid leave for refusing to wear a mask. The school also imposed a 10-day quarantine on her daughter, blocking her from entering school.

On Monday, Gov. Youngkin responded to these schools on the John Fredericks Show: “Is it a surprise that some of these school systems … aren’t recognizing the rights of parents today? Oh, by the way, they haven’t been recognizing the rights of parents all along. And so I’m not surprised at all to hear these reactions from school boards that have consistently prioritized bureaucrats and politicians over the rights of parents.”

Youngkin said he set up a “tip line” for parents to report teachers or educators who are being divisive:

“We have set up a particular e-mail address, called helpeducation@governor.virginia.gov. for parents to send us any instances where they feel that their fundamental rights are being violated, where their children are not being respected, where there are inherently divisive practices in their schools.”

“There is no one better positioned to look after the health and well-being of their child than their parents, continued Youngkin. “If there’s one thing that hopefully everybody heard in November it’s that it is time to listen to parents.”

Youngkin is referring to his landslide victory in the gubernatorial election in November, which was the first time in seven years that the state had voted for a Republican governor. Youngkin’s victory was widely attributed to the decaying school system, which had begun teaching critical race theory to students. The particular scandal credited with fanning the flames was when Loudoun County’s woke policies led to the rape of a female student by a transgender woman, an event which went largely ignored by the school.