In the shadow of the Johnson County Courthouse, a group of concerned parents on Tuesday held signs demanding that schools remove mask mandates and let parents make the decision for their children.
When the school year began, most public schools in Johnson County were mask-optional — meaning students and parents could make their own decisions about mask-wearing. However, almost all local districts have added some sort of mask requirement in the weeks since due to a rising number of COVID-19 cases in schools.
Within a matter of weeks, Center Grove, Clark-Pleasant and Franklin schools implemented mask mandates that would go into effect when at least 2% of students are out due to positive COVID-19 tests. This threshold was based on guidance from the Johnson County Health Department, which has since changed. Now, the county health department is recommending schools follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. In the federal agency’s most recently updated guidance for COVID-19 prevention in K-12 schools on Aug. 5, the CDC recommended universal indoor masking for all students, staff, teachers and visitors, regardless of vaccination status.
Indian Creek also implemented a mask mandate, which takes effect when the percentage of students out due to positive COVID-19 tests reaches 4%.
Greenwood schools has a district-wide mask mandate.
About 35 parents were advocating Tuesday for their freedom and rights to have a say in their child’s education, said Amber Treasure, founder of the Johnson County chapter of Parents Against Government Overreach. The protest received support from passerby along Jefferson Street. Many cars honked as parents waved their signs.
Some, though, stopped to tell members of the group they did not agree with their stance.
While Tuesday’s protest was specifically about mask mandates, the group focuses on more than just that issue. It is a group of parents and concerned citizens who are joining forces to support an “education revival” in schools — one that will be free of “sociopolitical ideologies and critical pedagogy” — which lead to getting politics out of the classroom, group leaders said.
The Johnson County chapter of the organization has more than 600 members, many of whom have attended school board meetings recently across the county to protest mask mandates, Treasure said.
There is no science that proves masks are effective, said Betsy Wells, a retired school bus driver.
Wearing masks correctly and consistently can reduce the spread of COVID-19 and the Delta variant, according to the CDC. Mask effectiveness is based on the combination of source control and protection, and several studies have shown that requiring masks in schools, either for staff only or both students and staff, is successful, the CDC says.
Whether children wear masks should be a parent’s choice, said Tanya Stainbrook, a PAGO supporter.
Stainbrook took issue with how the schools report data, and argued that if schools can release COVID-19 case numbers, they should release information about suicide rates. Mental health should be a bigger focus, she said.
Matthew Fox took issue with when specifically mask mandates are enforced. If students are required to wear masks during the school day, why are they not required to wear them during extracurriculars, he said.
The choice should be left to parents, and those students who want to wear a mask can do so, Fox said.
