Education

Masks optional in Harnett County schools starting in October

The decision on wearing a mask will be placed back in parent's hands in Harnett County starting in October.

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By
Sydney Franklin
, WRAL multiplatform producer & Chris Lovingood, WRAL anchor/reporter

The decision on wearing a mask will be placed back in parent's hands in Harnett County starting in October.

On Monday, Harnett County Board of Education members voted 3-2 to make masks optional starting Oct. 5. Board members said recent coronavirus case numbers, how there seemed to be a downward trend in cases, ability for virtual learning and quarantine time being down because of PRC testing contributed to the decision to make masks optional.

Last week, there were 200 reported coronavirus cases within the school district and 1,400 people in quarantine. Two athletic teams in Harnett County are also in quarantine after players tested positive for the virus.

The decision comes on the heels of a protest outside the meeting on Monday. A group of parents who called their initiative "the fight for a parent's choice" gathered outside the meeting waving flags and American flags.

"I just want to have the choice. I would prefer the choice," said mother Virginia Barnes. "I am the parent of my child [and] I want to make the choice whether my child wears a mask or not."

Other parents outside the school board meeting said they did want the mask mandate to stay in place.

"I believe that parents need to have their children wearing masks. It is very important. You have teachers that are out sick due to kids coming in being exposed," said Jihan McLean, who is a teacher in Wake County but has children that attend school in Harnett County.

Shortly before the start of the meeting, school board members extended the public comment period to one hour and added mask mandates to the agenda.

"I don't want my child to wear a bacteria diaper all day on their face, so I'm sorry, I don't agree with that at all," said Barnes.

But, Harnett Health Systems pediatrician Dr. Lori Langdon said that logic doesn't make sense -- especially with how long surgeons and other medical professionals wear their masks.

"[Health care professionals] wear masks for 12 hours at a time and they don't acquire bacterial infections from their masks. This is a myth," said Langdon, adding that the myth likely started on social media.

Coronavirus cases associated with kindergarten through twelfth grade schools is at its highest level since the pandemic began, state released by the state on Monday shows.

Children under 17 account fo 30% of North Carolina's case count last week.

"We know masks work," said Langdon. "We've got lots of data that supports curbing transmission by universal mask wearing."

Langdon said that having the decision for mask wearing to be optional "doesn't make sense medically."

"The choice would mean we would lose universal masking, and if we lose universal masking or the mask mandate, those numbers are only going to increase," she said. "Unless everyone is masked, everyone is not protected."

Anti-masks protests grow

Protests against masks have been planned at several school districts across central North Carolina this week.

The group Re-Open Orange County Schools planned to protest the district's mask mandate on Monday at Gravely Middle School while the board held its business meeting.

In Johnston County, a protest is planned for Wednesday. Johnston County school board members voted to require masks after cases spiked in the school district.

At the July meeting of that body, more than 100 people protested mask mandates and there are reports that a large crowd is expected again. Two groups -- Citizen Advocates for Accountable Government (CAAG) and JCPS Parents for Freedom -- are organizing a march and protest.

Conservative Tennessee Congressional Candidate Robby Starbuck is planning to attend the rally, and posted on his Instagram account Monday that North Carolina Republican 11th District Congressman Madison Cawthorn would be joining him. As of Monday, Cawthorn's campaign has not confirmed that he would attend the rally.

Less than 50% of all Johnston County residents are vaccinated, state data shows. A total of 270 people have died from the virus in Johnston County, which is nearly 130 deaths per capita.

In Moore County, members of the school board canceled Monday's meeting after board members Threat over mask mandate prompts Moore County school board to reschedule meeting The letter, according to board member Robert Levy, said that the person was going to show up at school board members' homes and pressure them to drop the district's mask mandate.

As a result of the threat, the board meeting was moved to the district's central office. The board decided during a closed session meeting at 4 p.m. that they did not give the public valid notice of the location change, and due to that technicality, they would have to cancel the meeting, according to Levy.

The meeting will now take place Thursday, but it's unclear the time and place.

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