Illinois Mom’s ‘My Child Was Suspended For No Mask’ Triggers Explosive Reaction

(Note: This is not to persuade or dissuade masks or vaccinations.)

A Belvidere mom shared a story that has caught the attention of many, leading to questions, opinions, and a divide, which is nothing new in 2021.

In a public Facebook post shared in a Belvidere group, the woman shared what happened along with documents explaining her elementary-age son was suspended for one day due to the "egregious nature" of the child's conduct.

He was labeled as a "threat to school safety" for not being able to breathe while wearing a mask.

The Belvidere mother says the school did receive a certified mask exemption letter citing wearing a mask "poses a significant and dire risk" to the student's health. (A document many commenters questioned.)

I would like all of you to take a look at what's happening in our schools. Our children are being yelled at, harrassed, and criminalized for trying to breathe.

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Many parents have expressed similar concern or frustration about mask mandates in public schools in recent months, especially when students were invited to return to in-class education.

If your child can tolerate wearing a mask for 6 to 10 hours a day, and that's what YOU want in order to protect them while at school, great...I respect your decision as a parent. My son CAN'T tolerate it.

This mother is obviously frustrated, we can all agree. We should also be able to agree that a parent's choice is a parent's right.

However, parents who choose not to follow laws and mandates are subject to whatever the risks may be.

Some parents will argue their children have functioned normally in school while wearing masks. Some will go as far as to say masks have prevented their child from falling ill with the flu or other sicknesses.

He is NOT a threat to safety and he deserves to be treated like the naive, curious, fun loving little boy that he is.

Her post concluded with encouraging concerned parents to attend future board meetings and/or reach out to her with questions about how to get involved.

BE AWARE OF WHO IMPLEMENTS STATE-WIDE MANDATES

Before you read the mixed reactions, it is important to remember who is responsible for mask mandates and the rules and regulations set in place within our local public schools.

It's not the teachers, bus drivers, lunch aides, paraprofessionals, not even the principal. It's the state.

Parents have the right to attend school board meetings in hopes of their voice being heard down in Springfield but parents do not have a right to raise their voices or create chaos on a local level.

REACTION

Here are a few of the HUNDRED of responses to the concerned mother's post.

You can read her entire post and comments here.

(Maybe one day we can all be on the same page and understand 90% are not experts on the mask/vaccinations topic. Maybe one day we can respect each other's opinions and beliefs without fighting and carry on with our lives.)