The school board in the city of Franklin has voted unanimously to mandate masks be worn in schools, starting Monday. This comes after Williamson County Schools made the same decision last week and amid a spike in COVID infections, likely tied to the start of the school year.
The decision was made at a special meeting of the board Friday afternoon. During the meeting, parents of children attending the Franklin Special School District spoke out on both sides of the issue.
Erin McCann says mask mandates are a dystopian nightmare.
“If you impose mask mandates, you are ushering in tyranny,” said McCann. “Masking children is child abuse and imposing mandates means advocating for child abuse. We will not comply we will not ask permission for an exemption.”
But other parents welcomed the mandate. Cecile Lenae has two students in Franklin schools. Her eldest child as well as others in her class have already been forced to quarantine after being exposed to the coronavirus at school.
“If we want our schools to remain opened, and if we want learning to continue without major disruptions, we must protect our children and the broader community with a simple mask mandate,” Lenae suggested.
Parents will still be allowed to opt out of the masking rules, per Gov. Bill Lee’s executive order that gives parents the last say.
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