Edwardsville CUSD 7 stands by a statement that no student who has refused to wear a mask has been disciplined.
However, parents of some Edwardsville High School students say otherwise, in that students who've chosen not to mask following a Feb. 4 court ruling have been isolated from the general student population.
In social media posts on Tuesday, parents also said their maskless children were excluded from the cafeteria - a place where no student is required to mask - and they were required to have an escort to the restroom.
Also circulating on a parents' Facebook group page Tuesday was a cell phone picture taken of EHS principal Steve Stuart in the cafeteria with a face mask not covering his face.
One parent commented, "Rules for thee but not for me."
While many public and private schools across the state have chosen to heed the Feb. 4 ruling of Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow, in which she voided Gov. JB Pritzker's school mask requirement, Edwardsville CUSD 7 superintendent Patrick Shelton and other school districts have chosen a narrower interpretation.
On Feb. 6, Edwardsville parents were advised by email that only students whose parents sued the district were allowed to attend school without a mask on Monday.
Judge Grischow's ruling is being appealed by the state, and a decision on her temporary restraining order could be rendered next week.
The school district provided a statement to the Record on Monday following a report about a parent protest over the mask mandate. The statement said that no students were disciplined for not complying with the mask rule.
On Tuesday, school district spokesperson Mary Ann Mitchell stood by the statement. She said that unmasked students were given an option to wear masks and if they didn't, they were taken to the library.
She said they could remain in the library or have their parents come for them.
When asked whether that was punishment, she said, "We have a mask mandate."
She answered a question about whether students learn as much in a library as in a classroom by saying she didn't have that information.
Superintendent Patrick Shelton sent another email message to parents on Tuesday afternoon with the title: District #7 Message
February 8, 2022
Dear District #7 Families:
The past 48-72 hours have been challenging for many in the District #7 community. I appreciate those who have communicated regarding the most recent TRO ruling and expressed their opinions about masks, government involvement, and district policies. While I have had the opportunity to respond to most of the email and voicemails received, the district wants to keep lines of communication open in a way that is meaningful and allows us to engage in dialogue which results in common understanding.
As a result, I would like to share a few viewpoints:
- There are many factors which impact a district’s decision regarding masking: not one of them is about politics. Legal interpretations, potential impact on immunocompromised children and staff, and others in our community which are potentially impacted by this decision are all factors in determining any changes in practices.
- As a district, we respect the right of members of our community to voice displeasure, question policies, and provide support in a way that is respectful. Dialogue is how we gain common understanding.
- As a district, we will not allow members of our community to disrupt the educational environment. Our ultimate responsibility is to provide a high-quality education to our students, and we will not allow anyone to knowingly interrupt the education we provide.
- We are proud of the way our students have engaged in civil discourse and dialogue; each of our students has handled themselves respectfully and in a way that should make every member of our community proud.
Over the past decades, we have asked our students to acclimate themselves to a culture of respect, and I think it is acceptable to expect the same from everyone in our community. We will continue to work with Edwardsville Police Department and other law enforcement to ensure that our schools are a place where students and staff feel safe. Moving forward, I would ask that each member of our community try to gain a common understanding of all sides of an issue before issuing judgement. Name-calling and disruptions to our schools have no place in District #7.
If you have questions, or would like more information, please reach out to a member of our administrative team. We are all in public education for kids and we would like nothing more than to partner with everyone in our community to ensure our students have the brightest of futures ahead.
Sincerely,
Patrick Shelton, Ed.D.
Superintendent