Heart-Broken Students Denied Admission To Their Central Schools Because of Mask

By Woody Jenkins, Editor, Central City News • CENTRAL — Central Middle 7th grader Sara Olive was denied admission to her school on Thursday, Aug. 12 when Central schools’ Supt. Jason Fountain denied the family’s application for a religious exemption to wearing masks.  Fountain said he’s just following orders from the governor.  

Sara’s mother Kim Powers said the Governor’s “mandate” is illegal and someone has to stand up to him.  “The Attorney General is our state’s chief legal advisor.  He has issued two strong legal opinions showing the governor does not have the power to order masking of children.  It’s a tragedy and downright wrong that our superintendent and school board are going along with this dictatorial decree from our liberal Democrat governor.  It does not represent the values of Central.”

Ms. Powers said, “We know this pandemic has had minimum impact on children nationwide and that these kinds of masks do almost nothing. The legislature gutted the Governor’s so-called mandate during the recent regular session, with HCR5, which explicitly suspended  his power to violate citizens’ religious liberties.”

“We have provided the superintendent solid documentation of our claims for exemption from the mask mandate, and he and his attorneys need to read the law.  Nevertheless, Supt. Fountain has failed after a full week to give any written response to our request for a religious exemption.  This is not an exemption that is within the power of the governor or the superintendent to withhold.  It is inherent in the First Amendment. If you have a truly held religious belief, they have to deal with it.  We want written reasons so that we can appeal the decision.”  “But this is not only about an exemption.  I intend to keep fighting until these illegal dictates from an out-of-control governor are ended!  We want our kids to attend regular in-person classrooms without these ridiculous unsanitary masks around our children’s faces.  We have to stand up to this and more and more parents are!”