Georgia mom taking stand for her child, students over school mask mandate
Mother Courtney Ann Taylor on going against mask requirement that has been extended through next year.
A Georgia mom is going viral after she grilled school board members for making young children wear masks and socially distance despite there being little evidence that kids are severely at risk of contracting COVID-19.
Courtney Ann Taylor slammed the Gwinnett County Board of Education members at a meeting on April 15, telling them that she’s heard the same talk for over a month about kids’ social and mental health.
"If you truly mean that you would end the mask requirement tonight," Taylor said.
Taylor noted that it’s been more than a year since the pandemic began, multiple vaccines are available and every adult in the state of Georgia that wants to be vaccinated is eligible.
"Every one of us knows that young children are not affected by this virus … And that’s a blessing," Taylor said. "But as the adults what have we done with that blessing? We’ve shoved it to the side and we’ve said, ‘we don’t care. You’re still going to wear a mask on your face every day … You still can’t play together on the playground like normal children … We don’t care. We’re still going to force you to carry a burden that was never yours to carry.’ Shame on us."
A Gwinnett County Public Schools spokesperson told Fox News that the districtwide facemask requirement has been in place since the start of the current school year last August.
"The policy was instituted, and remains in place, based upon the recommendation and guidance of the local and state health departments, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," the spokesperson said in an email. "In the weeks and months ahead, the Gwinnett County Board of Education will continue to discuss and evaluate the district’s COVID-19 protocols, as well as consult with health officials to ensure the appropriate policies and procedures are in place to keep students and staff safe."
PSAKI HAS NOTHING TO SAY ON WHETHER BIDEN WILL EXTEND 100-DAY MASK CHALLENGE
Taylor said that her 6-year-old daughter has complained that she doesn’t want to wear the mask anymore.
"It’s April 15, 2021, and it’s time. Take these masks off of my child," Taylor said, prompting some clapping and applause in the background.
Taylor, anticipating her critics citing advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said Georgians voted for the five school board members, not the CDC.
"We chose you to make difficult decisions for our children. We chose you to make decisions that would be in our children’s best interest. Enforcing 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9-year-old little children to cover their noses and their mouths – where they breathe – for seven hours a day, every day for the last nine months for a virus that you know doesn’t affect them, that is not in their best interest," Taylor said, choking back tears.
"It has to stop. Take these off of our children," Taylor said.
Taylor has since started a change.org petition to demand that Gwinnett County Public Schools make masks optional for children.
"It is the parent's responsibility to make health decisions for their children," the petition says. "The parents decide which pediatrician they see and which vaccines they receive, so they also decide if their child is going to cover their nose and mouth. Stop trying to parent our children for us."
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As of Thursday evening, the petition has reached nearly 900 signatures out of its goal of 1,000.
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