Douglas County Parents, Students Line Up At School Board Meeting Following Mask Mandate Ruling
CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (CBS4) - Just hours after a judge temporarily reinstated a mask mandate for Douglas County schools, parents and students showed up in force to show the school board how upset they are with the lawsuit and the return of the masking regulation.
"It really feels like parental rights are being violated because it should be the parents who make fundamental choices about their children," said Amity wicks, a parent of a student at STEM Highlands Ranch. "I was very disappointed as an understatement."
Wicks was joined by dozens of other parents for hours of public comment where the school board was told many people don't support masking mandates. Others questioned a lawsuit the school district lead against a relaxed public health order and how much it will cost taxpayers.
"You want all students to thrive and yet you side with a few. A few voices. What about my children? What about I feel like is harming my child. Does that not matter," Wicks said.
"Are you trying to help us or hurt us," asked one high school student.
A small handful of people supported the district's move. Many more over the hours said the board was acting in the interest of a few students and not the majority.
"Our voices are not being heard," Wicks said. "For those of us who really believe that masks over the long-haul harm our children, where are we left in this equation?"
Following the judge's temporary restraining order, students and staff are expected to be masked in Douglas County Schools on Wednesday.