Anti-maskers show up at special board meeting

COEUR d’ALENE — A special meeting of the Coeur d’Alene School Board that was not about the district’s mask policy became surrounded by those who disagree with the district’s mask policy when a large and vocal crowd gathered outside Midtown Meeting Center on Monday afternoon.

“This is absolutely a totalitarian takeover of the schools," said Laura Van Voorhees, who moved to Hayden from western Washington a month ago. "Everyone knows the school systems all over the country have been taken over, and I’m especially appalled that in this conservative little burg, it’s managed to creep in here."

Parents and children frustrated and fatigued by the district’s mask mandate held signs and loudly communicated their grievances while peacefully protesting in the parking lot.

Many had received emails or messages on social media that the board would be disciplining students for participation in last Friday's mask protest.

However, the two items on the board’s agenda included a request to amend the sale of the Hayden Lake School and an executive session in which trustees would consider disciplinary action of a student.

In accordance with Idaho’s open meeting law that requires a special meeting and agenda to be posted at least 24 hours before it’s held, the meeting was posted on Friday.

“Today’s student hearing has nothing to do with the mask protest or anything COVID related,” Coeur d'Alene School District spokesman Scott Maben said. "Frankly, I think it’s really disappointing that we’ve got a student and the student's parents coming in for a hearing that’s completely unrelated to this and have to show up and be intimidated by this. It’s just really discouraging they're being so disrespectful to that student and their family.”

Coeur d'Alene City Councilman Dan Gookin made an appearance. Sans mask, he tried to calm the crowd.

“Inside, there is a disciplinary hearing that has nothing to do with masks,” he said.

“We know this, but that’s not why we’re here,” one woman yelled. “We are not here for what they’re saying, we are here to tell them what they need to be talking about.”

“I would like everyone to show some sensitivity to the family inside here and the student who is being disciplined right now who has nothing to do with this,” Gookin pleaded. “They’re upset enough already."

He said he understood they were upset about masks and said he was, too, "but right now, what we’re doing is affecting a family that is going through a very difficult time.”

One man responded with an expletive.

“When people are upset, they tend to be disrespectful, and there’s always a thin line between civil disobedience and uncivil disobedience,” Gookin said after speaking to the crowd. “It’s emotional."

Coeur d’Alene High School mom Monika Klennert attended because she was angry that her daughter was “locked up in a room by herself” without the ability to leave when she opted to stay on school grounds to protest Friday.

“I’m very concerned about this,” Klennert said. “Disciplinary actions of expulsion I think are a bit extreme, considering that peaceful gatherings, protesting, is something that we are constitutionally allowed to do in this country. It used to be that schools allowed this and encouraged it on campuses."

CHS Assistant Principal Bill White said all but one student wore their masks, and the solo student was taken to Principal Libbi Barrett's office, then moved to the office lounge. He said Barrett brought the student a bottle of water and offered a string cheese and a yogurt that the student declined.

"At least one teacher brought some assignments to her, but we also have the students on Schoology" to work online, said White, whose office is near the lounge and who was present in the office that morning.

"The principal said, 'If you need anything at all, I'm in my office right around the corner, whatever you need,'" White said.

The student was picked up by parents before the 10:45 a.m. lunch hour began.

"Nothing was ever asked," White said. "If she would have asked to use the restroom, by all means, we would have let her use the restroom."

"We respect and protect the rights of students to protest peacefully and balance this right with the safety of other students and their right to learn," Barrett said.

The school board is expected to take action on the district's mask requirement next Monday.