ANN ARBOR (WWJ) – Officials with Ann Arbor Public Schools say they fully respect and support the First Amendment rights of their students after a group of students walked out of class on Monday in protest of the district’s mask policy.
While every county in Michigan has now rescinded its mask requirements for schools, several districts still have policies in place, including Ann Arbor, Ypsilant and the state’s biggest public district – Detroit.
A group of roughly 15 students at Ann Arbor Skyline High School took exception with the district’s mandate and walked out of morning classes on Monday.
Students took their masks off, went outside and held signs protesting the mandate and handed out fliers, asking for the district to end the policy, according to a report from The Detroit News.
A student who organized the walkout told The Detroit News there were “no problems” stemming from the protest and the students returned to class as school liaison officers stood by.
Ann Arbor Public Schools spokesperson Andrew Cluley issued a statement to WWJ regarding the incident:
"The Ann Arbor Public Schools fully respects and supports the first amendment rights of students to raise their voices and express their thoughts.
While fully supporting our students in sharing their thoughts, these expressions should occur in a way that doesn’t cause a disruption or interfere with the orderly conduct of learning or school activities, per district policy.
In holding the health and safety of our students and staff, and sustaining full staffing for in-school learning as critical priorities, the AAPS will continue with universal masking.
While preferences with masking may differ widely, we understand clearly the priorities that matter most for all in the Ann Arbor Public Schools: 1) health and safety, 2) sustaining critical in-school learning and 3) ensuring full enrichment opportunities and activities for our students and staff."
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