Georgia State House Minority Leader James Beverly (D-Macon) and other members of the Georgia House Democratic Caucus on Monday demanded that Governor Brian Kemp and other state officials mandate COVID-19 masks at public schools.
Beverly did not return The Georgia Star News’ request for comment Monday. We contacted the eight other caucus members who said in an emailed press release that public school students must wear masks. Seven of those eight state representatives did not respond before Monday’s stated deadline.
State Representative Rhonda Burnough (D-Riverdale) responded to The Star News’ via email Monday. She did not answer our questions and instead sent a prepared statement. Burnough said in her statement that Kemp has “not laid a science-based foundation in their plans to reopen schools, which has compromised the wellbeing of the public, including our children.”
“The state school superintendent’s office has not weighed in publicly or talked to parents, educators, students or other stakeholders about a plan for Georgia schools to open safely and keep students safe as they reenter the classroom,” Burnough said.
“Instead, local superintendents have had to go at it alone, while making decisions with their school board members on what is best for their students, staff and school districts.”
Beverly and other caucus members said in their press release that Kemp and Georgia School Superintendent Richard Woods should mandate masks and fund statewide incentive programs.
“Stop pushing back against vaccine verification and start invalidating anti-vaccine rhetoric,” the press release said.
More than 250 residents gathered at last week’s Cherokee County School Board meeting to protest potential COVID-19 mask mandates. Parents’ comments irked board members to such an extent that those board members ended the forum prematurely.
Witnesses said those board members then departed the building with police escorts.
Board members’ rationale for bringing the meeting to a halt: they said audience members, during the public comment portion, had clapped too much.
Jenny Beth Martin, who attended last Thursday’s meeting in Canton, said it’s not uncommon for audience members to applaud or boo. But she also said they never do so while someone else speaks.
Martin said board members called a recess and forced everyone to clear the room.
“All of the comments so far have been over the mask mandate. We don’t have a mandate. We are mask-optional here,” Martin said.
“We no longer have healthy quarantines. Some people were speaking against that, urging masks, and other people were speaking favorably of what the board has already done. They still shut it down.”
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “James Beverly” by James Beverly for State Rep. Photo “Brian Kemp” by Governor Brian Kemp. Background Photo “Class Room” by Wokandapix.
