MASSAPEQUA, N.Y. (1010 WINS) — A debate over school mask mandates is heating up amid a Long Island school district's first day of school, according to a new report.
Despite a mask mandate from the New York State Health Department, some Massapequa School District students and parents are urging for masks to go optional — with more than 700 parents signing a petitioning pushing for this switch, WABC 7 reports.
Joe Brooks, a parent within the school district, told WABC 7 that his 13-year-old son "unwillingly" went to Berner Middle School Thursday with a mask on.
"It's just a bad message for the kids," he said. "These kids have been out all summer long doing their thing."
However, Chere Urgo, another Berner parent, told ABC7 she believed a majority of Massapequa parents support masks in school and that her kids don't mind the mandate.
"My kids honestly don't care," Urgo said. "You know why they don't care? Because I'm not making a deal out of it in my home."
A nationwide student walkout against mask mandates is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, according to WABC 7.
With this looming threat, the school district warned parents that students who partake in the protest and leave school buildings will face an infraction and will be disciplined.
"This effort is gathering momentum in many Long Island districts, as well as our own," the Massapequa School District wrote in a letter to parents.
Parents pushing for the mask optional policy are expected to attend a school board meeting Thursday night.
