A brother and sister were kicked out of the classroom at their charter school in Temecula after they say they chose not to wear face masks due to religious reasons.
"We thought the school would care what we believe in but they just didn’t even care enough to listen," Victoria Nelson, a junior, told FOX 11 after she and her brother were forced off school grounds on their first day of class.
The siblings believed their decision to abstain from wearing a mask would be exempt by Springs Charter School for religious reasons even though no formal request was ever filed with the district or the school.
Drew Nelson, a senior, said a teacher sent him to the principal’s office immediately after arriving in class. However, Victoria refused to leave her classroom. She told FOX 11 that the teacher evacuated the classroom and blocked her from following her classmates.
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A school resource officer was eventually called to help administrators with the situation. Typically a school resource officer is called when there is an immediate threat to students and staff.
KNX reached out to Springs Charter Schools for a comment but has not heard back. In a statement to FOX 11, they said:
"As a public charter school, Springs Charter Schools is requiring [sic] to comply with all CDPH orders, including the mask mandate, in order to protect the health and safety of our staff and students, which is our highest priority. To this end, students and staff are required to wear a mask while in school facilities. There are no religious exemptions in the state mask order nor has the right to an exemption even been recognized by the Supreme Court because it's a neutral law of general application to protect public health. We are still investigating the specifics of the incident."
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Currently, the California Department of Public Health is requiring all individuals to wear masks indoors in K-12 schools regardless of whether they’re vaccinated or not.
The public health department’s mask-wearing exemption guidelines don’t list religious reasons as possible grounds for an exemption. However, in the event that students refuse to wear masks, the CDPH’s updated K-12 school guideline notes that the school must “offer alternative educational opportunities for students who are excluded from campus.”
Accordingly, Drew and Victoria have been offered an alternative learning method. They will have access to the entire school curriculum but will be studying from home for the time being. Their parents are expected to meet with the school district soon.
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