TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — On Sunday, Leon County Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna announced that the school district would be temporarily eliminating mask opt-outs unless a doctor's note is provided.
Hanna said that he knows the impact of what he is doing, but is committed to protecting local students.
“I am aware that I am the first elected school superintendent to take such action," said Hanna. "I am also fully aware of the consequences I may face. Governor, I have an obligation to uphold the laws of the State of Florida. I have a greater obligation, however, to protect the health, safety and welfare of the children in Leon County.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis' office responded to the mask policy in an email to ABC 27 from spokesperson Christina Pushaw.
It is disappointing that Leon Schools would violate Florida law by reversing its mask policy, which had previously protected parents’ rights and complied with state law by offering an opt-out provision. There is no scientific basis for Leon Schools’ decision; sadly, the school board and superintendent are focused on playing politics instead of doing their research — and doing the right thing for kids and families.
Governor DeSantis stands for parents’ rights, makes data-driven decisions, and follows the science. There is no empirical evidence to support the assertion that the benefits of forced masking of schoolchildren outweigh the potential harms. Masking kids under 12 is not recommended in many EU countries, because their health authorities have found that the risks are not well understood – and the data shows that forced-masking of young children has a negligible impact on COVID prevalence and spread.
Nobody is above the law, not even school board politicians.
