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BOE members and mask wearing

Posted by Steven Sabo on September 14, 2020 at 9:30pm

Hello all,

We have an issue on our board where one of our members is refusing to wear a mask to meetings. The member states it is because of a medical condition. We have offered that member to join us remotely but they have insisted on attending our meetings live. He has reluctantly come in with a mask on the chin, in their hand, etc. Anyone else having a similar issue?

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Replies

  • Bill Grau October 16, 2020 at 1:29pm
    The member should sue his doctor for malpractice. Any doctor that would tell someone with a respiratory condition that it is ok to be in public without a mask during a pandemic where the illness invades the lungs should no longer be able to practice medicine. (sarcasm implied)
  • Bob McCann October 15, 2020 at 1:26pm
    I would contact your legal team and see what options you have. Perhaps review with the member what the district would do to/with anyone else who refused to wear a mask. Our Board is following the same rules and regulations as our students, teachers and visitors, including the daily self assessment that our faculty fill out before coming to work. We also decided if we get a certain # of people attending the meeting that we move it to the auditorium so people can sit farther apart- even with masks on! Good luck with that one!
  • Karen Burka October 9, 2020 at 9:32am
    We are meeting in person. Our schools are open, and we (the Board) felt that if we are asking students and staff to return to the buildings, that we should too. Masks are mandatory in all indoor spaces -- so we wear ours for our entire meeting and have also social distanced our seats/tables. Everyone has complied.
  • Anjeanette Emeka October 9, 2020 at 2:44am
    Our board is required to wear masks the whole time we are in the room in person, just like teachers and students are required to do. I have had to follow up after a couple meetings with trustees who didn't have the mask on properly and they were appreciative and are doing better. We broadcast our meetings so the public can attend virtually, so, if we can't get our act together as well as our kindergartener's and the rest of the grades are so far, we all see that as a problem. We are even following the same standards as the students and staff have to: no gators, no bandanas, and no masks you can blow out a candle with them on!
  • Rob Curtis October 2, 2020 at 2:15pm
    Are you requiring a mask for the entire meeting or just until seated? We are not requiring masks while seated because our board room has been rearranged to allow for appropriate distancing.
  • Heidi Cambareri October 2, 2020 at 12:11pm
    We haven’t met in person yet and so haven’t faced this. But I’d advocate for following the same protocol required for students or staff, as the meetings are on school property and staff are in attendance. Medical note and require additional measures such as staggered arrival/departure time from others, use of shield around their spot at the table, additional distance...
  • Carol Popolow Abraham September 26, 2020 at 5:41pm
    I feel the board trustee should be held to the same standards as the staff and students. I, personally, would leave a meeting where one of the participants refused to wear a mask. So far we have remained virtual but are discussing going back to in person meetings.
  • Marissa Mims September 15, 2020 at 7:46pm
    He should be held to the same standards as your staff. If he has a verified medical excuse, he should wear a shield at least or attend virtually. All of our BOE members wear masks at all times during the meeting and as they leave the building.
  • Cara Lajewski September 15, 2020 at 9:25am
    Do you require members to wear masks the entire meeting or is it just for the walk into the room until seated? We have a couple members who choose to wear masks for the entire meeting.
    For any student and staff joining our school buildings for in-person learning, we are requiring a doctor's note for any "medical exemption." I would likely do the same here, and have it include the duration that a mask could be safely worn, if you are only requiring it to be worn for the first and last 6 minutes of being in the meeting. (I would think some people who have medical issues wearing masks may have a different experience for that length of time, versus the 5-6 hours that we would otherwise be asking them to wear it during the school day.)
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