WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — A Canon-McMillan school board meeting turned downright nasty Tuesday night with parents screaming at each other, cursing and refusing to wear masks. The board eventually shut the whole thing down after about 20 minutes.
“I think it was a total fiasco. A lot of tensions are high,” said Robert Barnard.
One of the parents started screaming about the weight of one of the board members, fat-shaming them.
Community member asked board to stop meeting until everyone is masked.
— Amy Hudak (@amy_hudak) September 7, 2021
Parents opposed to masking are swearing at school board members. One has insulted the weight of one of the board members. It’s just nasty. @WPXI
Board members asked the crowd to wear masks to be in compliance with the new statewide requirement for school buildings. When some parents in the crowd refused, the board said they had no choice but to adjourn.
“It’s a very touchy subject right now. I think a lot of people are very agitated, very frustrated and aren’t getting any answers,” Barnard said.
While there were some parents who believe masks are necessary, others said they serve no purpose and claimed their rights were being violated.
Some parents placed blame squarely on Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, who issued the mask mandate for schools. However, the school board is also facing criticism, with some parents claiming it failed them and their children.
It’s a similar situation in many other local school districts, but the issue won’t be going away any time soon. The next Canon-Mac board meeting is penciled in for Sept. 23.
The school district said it stands by its decision to follow Department of Health and state orders.
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