D218 Board Tables Lifting Mask Mandate Until Appellate Decision

Oak Lawn IL

15 February, 2022

6:06 PM

Description

OAK LAWN, IL — Parents stormed out of the CHSD 218 school board meeting Monday night, when a motion to make Richards, Shepard and Eisenhower high schools was tabled until the appellate court decided whether to overturn a downstate judge's temporary restraining order blocking the governor's mask mandate. Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grishow issued a ruling Feb. 4 halting the statewide mask mandate, certain quarantine rules and COVID-19 vaccinations for school staff. In her temporary restraining order, Judge Grishow ruled that local school districts were free to "govern themselves accordingly." The ruling is currently under appeal by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. COVID-19 weary parents spoke during public comments that wearing masks in school was severely impacting their children's mental health and wanted Dist. 218 to comply with Judge Grishow's ruling. Many school districts not named in the lawsuit are adopting mask optional polices, while others are continuing to comply with the mask mandate until a decision is handed down by the appellate court whether to vacate or alter the Sangamon County judge's ruling. "My son and I were the Dist. 218 plaintiffs on the lawsuit. Isn't it a discriminatory practice to the other students when my son is the only one in the district who can exercise his due process rights," said Catherine O'Shea, whose son attends Richards High School. "I respectfully ask you to honor Judge Grishow's ruling and discard the voided mandates, as we know policy cannot supersede law." Richards High School senior Phil Schrode told board members that he has been sent home for the past week for not wearing a face mask since the judge's ruling. During the first of several bomb threats made at Richards in the fall, he explained that students were kept on lockdown well past the bomb's "detonation" time, while bomb-sniffing dogs searched the school. "We are tired of having our lives controlled and endangered by your decisions," Schrode said. "If the district cares at all about our lives and safety, they will remove this mask policy. If they don't, the students will take charge of this situation themselves. Some already have." Schrode's mother also got up and spoke during public comments. "This argument over the mask mandate needs to stop now," Susie Schrode said. "It has been two years. When will you guys realize this has not really done any good between the masks and vaccinations. People have contracted this virus. It is indigenous, people are going to get the virus regardless of vaccination status or whether they wear masks. The virus is here to stay. Masks should not be." Oak Lawn resident Bill Beaulieu, whose children graduated from Richards, was the only person who spoke in favor of keeping masks on in schools. "I read a lot of online comments about the stress of mask wearing. I have friends who are teachers with the same stress. That stress is understandable," Beaulieu said. "What about the stress of losing someone to COVID?" Claiming the 920,000 U.S. COVID-19 deaths have been "understated" due to other factors, such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity, Beaulieu asked if people with comorbidities are "less deserving of our concern." "You serve on this board because you care about the community. Part of that caring is the safety of the community and the schools," Beaulieu said. "Before anyone stands to condemn board members or call them out, please consider who you would feel in that situation. No one on this board is your enemy, and no one speaking here is your enemy." D218 board member Bob Stokas explained that he placed the action item in the evening's agenda after hearing from many parents and community members who wanted the school mask mandate lifted. "I also wanted it on the agenda in case the governor rescinded or modified his executive order before our board meeting, in hopes our legal counsel would find the authority for it to go forward," Stokas said. "As of this moment, none of that has occurred. With COVID numbers down drastically and vaccines readily available, I believe now is the time to make masks optional." Voicing that he was in favor of parental choice, local control and freedom, under the advice of the school district's attorneys, Stokas said the class action part of the lawsuit wasn't certified. For now, Judge Grishow's ruling only applies to the named parties in the lawsuit. As soon as the appellate court hands down its decision, Stokas will call an emergency board meeting on lifting the mask mandate in D218 schools. "I know it will upset a lot of people, it upsets me too, but I have an ethical and legal obligation to follow the governor's mandate. Trust me, I'm not happy," Stokas said. "It pains me drastically to say this, but when the action item regarding the motion is called tonight, I would have to make a motion until such time when counsel advises we have legal authority." "You do have the authority," an audience member shouted. "Fire the attorneys! The attorneys are holding up all the districts. Illegal bloodsucking attorneys." "You have a duty to us, the people, not the attorneys." "We didn't elect the lawyers. We elected you," people shouted as they walked out of the meeting. The Dist. 218 school board voted to table the motion. After the meeting, Michael Stillman, the district's legal counsel, told Patch that the Illinois 4th District Appellate Court is expected this week. "We're still looking for guidance from the appellate court and also as to who the ruling applies to," said Michael Stillman, the district's legal counsel. "Hopefully, the case will provide clarification who the mandate applies to." Gov. Pritzker has set Feb. 28 for lifting the state's mask mandate from most indoor places, but the mandate will stay in place for schools and healthcare facilities.