Drama over masks fills auditorium at Board of Education meeting

This article is by Michael Westendorf and Michael Piwowarski.

MIDLAND, Mich. — Both masked and unmasked parents and community members filled the Central Auditorium for the Midland Public Schools Board of Education meeting on Monday, Sept. 20.

Nearly a month ago, the district announced a partial mask mandate for K-6 students, which sparked parent outrage and led to a series of protests against the school district’s leadership.

Monday’s meeting was moved from the district’s administration building to the larger auditorium to accommodate the larger-than-expected crowd and allowing for more social distancing. The public audience for the meeting was largely comprised of two main groups: those opposed to masks and those supporting masks. The group supporting masks generally sat, masked, on the stage-left side of the auditorium and the group that opposed masks sat, unmasked, on the stage-right side. Some members of the group opposed to masks took down tape that was adhered to some sections of seating to promote social distancing, and they sat together in a large group.

A panel of experts was invited to present COVID-19 information to the board during the meeting. The panel consisted of Dr. Paul Berg, President of MidMichigan Physicians Group; Dr. Adam Hamilton, a pediatrician at MidMichigan Health; Dr. Michael Elftman, Professor of Immunology and Infectious Disease at Central Michigan University; and Dr. Courtney Pearson, an infectious disease doctor at MidMichigan Health.

The panel said that data including the Delta variant’s spread, current test positivity rates, daily hospitalizations and deaths, and outbreaks within Midland schools calls for a universal mask mandate. They also touched on the efficacy of the three available COVID-19 vaccines, elaborating that no vaccine is 100 percent perfect, and that complications from the COVID-19 vaccines are “very rare.”

“We’ve spent our adult lives working to become experts, in the health and well-being of young people, and we would like nothing more than to get to the other side of this pandemic knowing we’ve done everything we can to keep these children and their families physically and emotionally well. We work hard to practice evidence-based medicine, and our recommendations are based in fact and science,” Dr. Hamilton said.

Dr. Hamilton said that he supports universal masking for students and teachers.

“The other main strategy to reduce risk of infection that we are here to discuss tonight is for all students, teachers, and staff to correctly wear well-fitted masks while indoors, in school,” Dr. Hamilton said. “Failure to institute a universal masking policy in school will result in unnecessary harm to children and adults in the community. It will significantly increase the number of children out of school, both due to COVID infections and because of required quarantine when they are exposed to COVID as well.”

Throughout the meeting, certain members of the audience heckled members of the panel as well as the board. Audience members in the ‘anti-mask’ section of the crowd frequently shook their heads and threw their hands up in the air as the doctors conducted their presentations.

“Can any of you attest to the psychological, the emotional, toll that a mask takes on our children? Will any of you ask that question?” a member of the audience in the unmasked ‘section’ asked while the panel was exiting the stage.

“What about Mr. C.M.U. with your cloth diaper on your face?” Jimmy Sheets, a district parent, followed up, apparently referring to Dr. Elftman.

After some back-and-forth, the board allowed Dr. Elftman to respond, however after about five seconds, the crowd began to interrupt him, prompting board trustee Jon Lauderbach to admonish some members of the audience.

“Hold on. Time-out,” Mr. Lauderbach said over the interruptions.

“No, no. No more ‘time-out,'” an unidentified member of the audience responded. “The gloves are off!”

“Look, here’s the deal,” Mr. Lauderbach responded. “These doctors took the time to come tonight to answer questions. He’s doing the best he can to answer your question. You owe him the respect to listen to what he has to say, or, if I were him, I’d go home and spend some time with my family. OK? Let him finish. Let him finish, or Officer Hinson is gonna…”

Mr. Lauderbach’s words trailed off as the masked portion of the audience erupted in applause.

Jacob Lewis, co-founder of the Parents Against M.P.S. Mask Mandate Facebook group, stated he has requested that the board hold an emergency meeting numerous times, only to be turned down. Monday’s meeting was the first board meeting held since the mandate was put in place.

“They responded with … an auto-generated response, basically just giving us this meeting,” Mr. Lewis told the City Paper. “There wasn’t ‘No, we’re not gonna do it;’ they just said, ‘We’re having a meeting on the 20th,’ which was already scheduled.”

25 people signed up for public comment at the meeting, including both citizens who are for and against enforcing masks in schools.

Lisa Hansen remarked that she appeared for public comment for the seventh time in six months.

“I’m really proud of these parents for standing up and sharing facts and information that don’t seem to come from the medical world, so I just want to say this: There is a lot of information out there. Clearly, we’re very divided, and it’s sad, but it is what it is,” Ms. Hansen said. “We’re not saying that you can’t wear masks, we’re not saying that you can’t vaccinate. We’re just saying, as parents, we want the choice.”

Will Zablocki, who also co-founded the Parents Against MPS Mask Mandates Facebook group, spoke during the meeting’s public comment portion.

Mr. Zablocki, on behalf of his group, has alleged that Mr. Sharrow failed to uphold his responsibilities. He quoted the MPS policy manual, section 1230, item K, which says the superintendent must “work cooperatively with parents and community groups concerned with programs in the schools.

“We have been denied a voice for our children, and contrary to MPS’s purported inclusion, gives the perception that one or two administrators in our community acted unilaterally without public input, against the position of the majority of parents,” Mr. Zablocki said.

There is no evidence to support that a “majority of parents” in the district oppose universal masking. In fact, a majority of Americans support masks in schools for students and teachers. About 6 in 10 Americans say they should be required to wear masks while in school, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Another group of parents and community members have organized on Facebook as well. A group called ‘Mask Up MPS’ advocates for a universal masking policy throughout the district and organized a large protest with signs on the sidewalk and walkways, outside of Monday’s meeting. Inside, the group used green and red cards as a gesture of approval or disapproval when people gave public comments.

During public comments, Chad Anders argued that mask use is about personal responsibility rather than freedom, and said that every student should take appropriate safety measures for the good of everyone.

“I’m not only speaking for the mask supporting, but more specifically for the exhausted adult. We are all tired of this; the most tired being those who’ve done all they can only to have it ruined by the choices of others. And that isn’t right,” Mr. Anders said.

The district’s mask policy covers K-6 students when they are indoors, except for when they are eating lunch. Students in grades 7-12 are “highly encouraged” to wear masks. Mask use is also strongly recommended outdoors.

As of Sept. 8, Adams Elementary topped the list of Michigan’s “School-Related Outbreak Reporting” database. This outbreak reportedly led Mr. Sharrow to put the partial mandate in place, after consulting with Midland County Department of Public Health director Fred Yanoski.

A Change.org petition started by Mr. Lewis demanding the resignation of Mr. Sharrow as superintendent has gained 248 signatures as of Sept. 20. In contrast, a related Change.org petition calling for a universal masking policy for the district has garnered 347 signatures.

Chemical City Paper

Chemical City Paper is a nonprofit news organization covering local government, education, business, and the arts in Midland, Mich.