ROCHESTER, N.Y. — When a Long Island judge blocked New York’s mask mandate Monday, the ruling left a lot of school districts and parents with a lot of questions.
One day later, Appellate Court Judge Robert Miller issued a stay of the lower court’s ruling — essentially leaving in place the mandate for New Yorkers to wear masks in all indoor settings.
What You Need To Know
- Appellate Court Judge Robert Miller has issued a stay of a lower court’s ruling striking down New York’s mask mandate — essentially leaving in place the mandate for New Yorkers to wear masks in all indoor settings
- Despite the back-and-forth, educators say they’re trying to keep their focus on students, learning and safety
- Monroe County’s public health director says whatever happens in the courts doesn’t change the effectiveness of masks
Meanwhile, educators say they are trying to keep their focus on students, learning and safety.
“Is it disruptive? Absolutely it is,” said Dr. Christopher Brown, superintendent of the Marcus Whitman School District. “We’re at a weird time in our nation’s history.”
Brown says he is in constant contact with parents, even apologizing to them via the district Facebook page regarding the number of e-mails he’s sending them. He says communication in an ever-changing situation is important.
“I think the debate is a healthy one,” said Brown regarding the debate over mandatory masking of students. “I think when you talk about civics and all of us as community members and as parents, it’s one that needs to be had.”
Brown says school administrators are obligated to follow orders from the State Education Department — which said Monday that despite a judge’s ruling to overturn New York’s mask mandate, school kids on Tuesday would still be required to wear them in school.
“We’re trying to not put students in the middle,” said Brown. “This is really an adult issue.”
In districts across New York, some parents are fed up with mask requirements.
“There is a difference between respect and standing up for what we believe in,” said Jennifer Dunn of Brockport.
Dunn’s 13-year-old son attends A.D. Oliver Middle School in Brockport. She says he was sent home Tuesday morning for not wearing a mask in school.
A Brockport Central Schools spokesperson said Tuesday that the district provided masks to students who were not wearing them — adding that families of the students who were not willing to wear a mask were contacted and that some families elected to pick up their children and take them home.
“I just think we really need to question when things like this happen,” Dunn said. “Why are we not following the rules that change in favor of our freedoms? Why are we only following the rules that restrict them?”
Dunn says after a few mask-related incidents early in the school year, her son did wear his mask every day — until the judge ruled against the state’s mask mandate.
At a news conference discussing a blood donation shortage, Monroe County’s public health director was asked about the school mask issue.
“We know that masks prevent the spread of COVID in our schools, in our communities and in our public and private settings,” Commissioner of Public Health for Monroe County Dr. Michael Mendoza said. “And so whatever happens in the court doesn’t change the reality that masks work.”
Brown says at Marcus Whitman, not all parents agree with masking in schools. But he says most of them have been respectful. Both he and other school administrators say they hope for a clearer picture soon.
“I’d like to move forward on this issue today,” Brown said. “And I do appreciate where parents are passionate about it on both sides.”
