Community members, trustees debate masks

Emotions ran high as parents, students and other community members, many of them anti-maskers, voiced their opinions to the Coeur d’Alene School District Board of Trustees at the community forum Thursday night at Lakes Middle School courtyard.

Melanie Swagerty, a parent from Coeur d’Alene, said the thought of this school year running like the last is horrendous, with kids being sent home because of high COVID-19 numbers.

“We cannot keep doing this to children if we care about their mental well-being,” Swagerty said. “We had lots of tears last year.”

Stacey Gotcher of Coeur d’Alene said she felt the board overstepped its power and disregarded her rights as a parent.

“What we want, and what we demand, is that you respect us as parents, you return emails, you answer us,” Gotcher said. “At least have the respect to address us, because none of us parents would be this pissed off if you would respond to us.”

Others were open to a mask mandate.

“I do believe that without a mask mandate, we are putting (my son’s) life and the lives of other children, who have not had an opportunity to get the vaccine, at risk,” said Keri Simonet of Coeur d’Alene. “Unfortunately, in this community, we can't depend upon others to protect others vulnerable in our community, whether it's children, or whether those children are taking the virus home to their parents or other people in the community.”

Simonet said regardless of all the talk about rights, the mandate would be constitutional.

“Somebody else's right to swing their fist stops at my right to where it connects with my nose,” Simonet said. “It's going to take all of us and, unfortunately, the mandate is the only way to get that through.”

Misha Seguin, a parent from Coeur d’Alene, said the one simple way to avoid disruptions and keep the schools open would be to require masks.

“It's absolutely not a personal choice,” Seguin said. “When it comes to unvaccinated children, by not wearing a mask, you are breaking a community choice to potentially affect others.”

The floor was called back to order by Superintendent Shon Hocker, as Seguin received many boos and shouts of rebuttal throughout her turn to speak.

“Using an 'I feel' statement holds no weight when making a decision that can adversely affect the short-term and potentially unknown long-term health of thousands of children,” Seguin said. “I asked you all to defer to experts who recommend universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students and visitors regardless of vaccination status.”

Randy Neal, a parent from Coeur d’Alene, challenged the board to answer what gave them the right to overstep themselves and overstep the Constitution of the United States.

Neal said it was clear in the Constitution and state laws that the board had no right to mandate anything that inhibited freedom of speech, including masks. He said studies show masks harm children psychologically and socially.

Trustee Jennifer Brumley, board chair, said the school district's authority to make various mandates or restrictions in their school house is permitted under is a law.

Idaho Statute 33-512 on Governance of Schools reads, “The board of trustees of each school district shall have the following powers and duties,” including “(7) To exclude from school pupils with contagious or infectious diseases who are diagnosed or suspected as having a contagious or infectious disease or those who are not immune and have been exposed to a contagious or infectious disease; and to close school if the board determines that conditions warrant such closure, based on consultation with the district health department of the public health district in which the school district is located.”

“I'm just asking that we could stop fighting amongst ourselves on masking and focus on the larger picture,” said Trustee Lisa May. “No one on this board will choose to close schools here. I will tell you that it will be a call from our superintendent at 10 o'clock at night telling us that he does not have stuff to keep our schools open, and if that happens, I will be deeply disappointed.”