Central Parents Come Out in Record Numbers To Ask School Board to End Mandatory Masks

By Woody Jenkins, Editor, Central City News • CENTRAL — More than 50 Central parents came to the Central School Board meeting Monday, 

August 9 to demand that the school board make mask-wearing by students optional rather than follow the Governor’s statewide indoor mask mandate. 

The Central parents, led by Kim Powers, proposed changes in the Central Community School System’s Employee Handbook that would protect teachers and other school employees from being discriminated against or experiencing a hostile work environment if they refuse to mask or take a vaccine.  

Ms. Powers said the idea comes in response to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital and some other lo

cal institutions that are terminating employees who do not take the vaccine.  “We cannot sit by and allow that to happen to our teachers and other staff,” she said.

A separate set of amendments would protect students from being discriminated against or expelled for not wearing a mask or taking a vaccine.  The school system’s anti-bullying rules would be expanded to protect students who do not mask or take the vaccine from being bullied either by students or teachers.  

The proposed changes were submitted to the school board by Ms. Powers during a heavily-attended board meeting at the Central High Auditorium.  More than 50 parents on hand applauded the proposals.

Rather than taking the amendments up at the time, Central School Board President Dr. Jim Gardner said the amendments would be referred to the Human Resources Committee for consideration.  Ms. Powers, who serves on the Facilities Committee, said she understands the process but that the HR committee should meet and act immediately because the school year is beginning.

Ms. Powers said, “Some employees in our area are being threatened with termination for refusing to wear a mask or refusing to be vaccinated, even in the face of staff shortages.  We must not allow that to happen in the Central School System.  In these very unusual times, our employees need to know that they will not be subjected to discrimination or a hostile work environment.  The handbook provides protection against every kind of discrimination — even discrimination based on sexual orientation!  Yet, there is no protection against discrimination for an employee based on masking or vaccination.”  

“Another problem that some of our students have faced over the past school year is bullying by teachers over the mask issue.  Our schools are supposed to be bully-free zones.  Yet, students are routinely segregated and made to face the wall when they complain they can’t breathe!  How ridiculous and cruel!  There is hardly any greater right than the right to breathe freely.  We know that masks don’t work.  They are a breeding ground for disease and should not be mandated.”  

  “As to the statement that the Central School Board has no authority over these matters and must yield to the governor, that is completely false!  The Attorney General, who is the chief legal advisor to the State of Louisiana, has spelled that out in opinions rendered last July and again this past Friday, August 6.  Supt. Jason Fountain has been provided a copy of those opinions.  The bottom line of those is yes, you do have the power and the governor has no authority over you and specifically no power to order kids to mask.”

“Finally, please don’t tell us to settle for virtual classes.  The cry of segregationists for a century was Separate But Equal.  But just as in segregation days, we learned last year that Separate Was NOT Equal!  The virtual students did NOT receive a quality education.  My daughters are healthy and normal.  They deserve to sit in a normal classroom and have the right that every American has — the right to breathe free!”