Thales Academy parents express concerns over handling of COVID-19 cases on campus

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>>> MASKS NO LONGER OPTIONAL AT

A CHAIN OF TWO PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

THIS ACADEMY REQUIRE STUDENTS

IN WAKE FOREST AND RALEIGH TO

MASK UP AFTER REPORTING COVID

CASES.

SEVERAL PARENTS REACHED OUT TO

WRAL WITH CONCERNS ABOUT THE

COVID PROTOCOL AFTER THE

FOUNDER WROTE IN THIS EMAIL TO

A PARENT, THE FLU IS FAR MORE

SERIOUS FOR CHILDREN THEN

COVID.

SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE WRAL

NEWS TEAM HAVE BEEN

INVESTIGATING PARENT CONCERNS

THE LAST FEW WEEKS.

MATT TALHELM IS LIVE WITH MORE

AND WHAT IS HAPPENING AND HOW

THE COMPLAINTS ARE BEING

HANDLED.

>> Reporter: THE ACADEMY

FOUNDER TELLS ME HE STANDS BY

THAT STATEMENT.

WE HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH

SEVERAL PARENTS WHO HAVE

CHILDREN THAT GO TO THE ACADEMY

LOCATION IN RALEIGH.

ALL OF THEM HAVE RIGHT THINGS

TO SAY ABOUT THE EDUCATION

THEIR CHILDREN RECEIVE HERE.

THAT IS WHY THEY DON'T WANT TO

GO ON CAMERA TO JEOPARDIZE

THAT.

THEY REACHED OUT TO US WITH

CONCERNS AND A SERIES OF

EMAILS, TEXT MESSAGES, AND

PHONE CALLS.

>> IT IS MORE UNNERVING NOW.

>> Reporter: THAT IS HOW ONE

MOM DESCRIBED THE START OF THE

NEW SCHOOL YEAR AT THALES

ACADEMY.

THEY ASKED TO DISGUISE HER

VOICE TO AVOID NEGATIVE

RESPONSE FOR RAISING CONCERNS

ABOUT THE SCHOOL COVID

PROTOCOLS.

THALES CHANGED ITS PROTOCOLS

OUTLINED IN THIS EMAIL SENT TO

PARENTS IN JULY.

MASKS BECAME OPTIONAL FOR

STUDENTS, STAFF, AND VISITORS

>> I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY

CHANGED IT LAST YEAR THEY DID A

WONDERFUL JOB.

IT WAS A WONDERFUL SCHOOL YEAR.

I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW WHAT

CHANGED OVER THE SUMMER

VACATION.

>> Reporter: ONE PARENT WROTE

IN AN EMAIL TO WRAL, THEY

REGULATE ALL SENSE OF HEALTH,

PERCUSSION, AND CONCERN

PRESENT AT THE END OF LAST

YEAR.

THAT SEEM PARENT GOT THIS EMAIL

WITHIN DAYS OF THE START OF

CLASSES ALERTING THEM THEIR

CHILD HAD A POSSIBLE DIRECT

CONTACT WITH THE CONFIRMED

COVID CASE ON CAMPUS.

ANOTHER PARENT WROTE TO WRAL,

THE SCHOOL DOES NOT INFORM US

OF SCHOOL POSITIVE CASES AND WE

ARE ONLY NOTIFY IF OUR CHILD

WAS IN 6 FEET.

WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC HOTELS WRAL

THEY HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED

CLUSTERS OR OUTBREAKS AT ANY

THALES LOCATION.

THE FOUNDER RESPONDED BY EMAIL

TO HER QUESTION ABOUT THAT

WRITING, THE NUMBER OF CASES IS

LOW BUT THE QUARANTINE ROWS

CREATE PANIC AND PERCEPTION OF

A MAJOR COVID CRISIS THAT WITH

THE MASKS IN PLACE AT WAKE

FOREST AND RALEIGH, QUARANTINES

WILL BE MINIMAL.

MASKS ARE NOW MANDATED AT THOSE

TWO SCHOOLS THROUGH AUGUST 27.

THEY REMAIN OPTIONAL AT OTHER

LOCATIONS.

THEY TOUT WRAL IT IS IMPERATIVE

FOR STUDENTS TO BE IN SCHOOL

WHERE THEY FLOURISHED.

THALES TAKES PRUDENT STEPS TO

KEEP STUDENTS SAFE.

>> PROGRESS THEY'RE MAKING AND

CHANGES THEY MADE, IT HAS BEEN

A SCARY FIRST MONTH BACK AT

SCHOOL.

>> Reporter: WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC

HEALTH TOLD ME THEIR TEAM MET

WITH THALES ACADEMY LEADERSHIP

TO TALK ABOUT QUARANTINE REVIEW

AND THE PROCESS TO DO QUARANTINE

AND ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF

MASKS AND EFFECTIVENESS OF

MASKS.

A SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE WAKE

COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH TELLS ME

PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE ONLY

REQUIRED TO REPORT CASES TO THE

LOCAL AND STATE HEALTH

DEPARTMENT AND NOT OUT TO THE