School mask fight attracts crowd to Johnston board meeting

THE DEBATE, MASK MANDATES AND

SCHOOLS.

CHRIS LEVENGOOD JOINS US NOW

LIVE FROM JOHNSTON COUNTY.

DESCRIBE FOR US THE MESSAGE YOU

HEARD TONIGHT?

>> Reporter: THE MESSAGE THAT

I'M HEARING FROM SO MANY

DIFFERENT PARENTS THAT CAME

HERE TO SPEAK OF THE SCHOOL

BOARD MEETING, IS THAT SOME

ARE SAYING THAT MASKING IS

NECESSARY.

OTHERS ARE SAYING THAT THE

DECISIONS SHOULD BE ON THE

PARENTS.

YOU LOOK AT THE MASK POLICY

THEY REPRESENT AN AREA ON THE

OTHER SIDE OF THE STATE.

>> THE REPRESENTATIVE SAID HE

WAS INCITED BY A GROUP TO SPEAK

ABOUT THE DISTRICT MASK POLICY.

>> THIS CHILDREN HAVE BEEN

FORCED TO GROW UP WHERE THEIR

VOICES ARE SMOTHERED.

>> 44% OF THE POPULATION IS

VACCINATED.

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS MORE

THAN 800 STUDENTS THAT ARE

QUARANTINED AS CASES ARISING

THE MASK POLICY IS STILL IN

PLACE.

>> THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FELT

LIKE TORTURE.

>> SOME PARENTS SAY IT MAKES IT

DIFFICULT FOR CHILDREN TO

CONNECT WITH THEIR TEACHERS.

THAT IS AN IDEA THAT AN ACTUAL

TEACHER ARGUES AGAINST.

>> THE FALLACY THAT I CAN

EMOTIONALLY BOND WITH MY KIDS

BECAUSE I'M WEARING A MASK IS A

STRAIGHT OUT LIE.

>> REGARDLESS ONE NURSE SAYS

THAT THIS IS ABOUT PROTECTING

THE POPULATION.

CHILDREN INCLUDED.

AT LAST CHECK CHILDREN UNDER

THE AGE OF 17 MAKE UP A LARGE

PERCENTAGE OF THE DEATHS IN THE

U.S.

>> TO SAY THAT ONLY A CERTAIN

PERCENT DIED AVOIDS THE WORK OF

THESE PEOPLE.

TO SAY THEY DIE BECAUSE THEY

HAD A COMORBIDITY TRIVIALIZES

THEIR SUFFERING AND HE GETS

THERE WORTH.

>> Reporter: JUST TO KEEP IN

MIND, THERE WERE A LOT OF

PEOPLE OUT THERE.

WE COUNTED ROUGHLY 150 PEOPLE

THAT STAYED HERE FOR THE MOST

PART OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.

I'VE TAKEN MY MASK OFF BECAUSE

THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY IS NO ONE

HERE NOW.

TONIGHT THE DISTRICT DID NOT

DISCUSS THE MASK POLICY.

THEY ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT

THOSE THAT ARE COVID POSITIVE.