Utah Parents Refuse To Wear Masks To Crowded Meeting In Protest Of State Mask Mandate For Students

Utah parents refused to follow social distancing guidelines by not wearing masks as they attended a meeting to talk about a state mandate that K-12 students wear masks when they return to school.

The parents not only did not wear masks, they also did not sit far apart from one another during the meeting, according to ABC News. One of the mothers who attended the meeting told KTVX-TV that she sees the mask order as a “political hoax,” while another attendee held a sign that said “no masks.”

When one woman walked up to the podium to speak, she went so far as to spit her gum into a face mask.

“It’s garbage,” she said as she wadded it up. “It doesn’t work anyway. Not for me and not for my kids.”

Another father said that he would pull his kids out of school if the mask order is enforced, adding that he does not think masks are effective.

Utah County Commissioner Tanner Ainge was booed relentlessly as he attacked the crowd for not wearing masks, saying, “This is the exact opposite of what we need to be doing.”

As the commissioners voted to postpone the meeting, they were only met with more boos.

“We are supposed to be physical distancing, wearing masks,” Ainge lamented.

Though Utah Governor Gary Herbert (R) is determined to open schools in the fall, he has issued an order requiring students and teachers alike to wear masks. While Utah County Commissioner Bill Lee has sent the governor a letter asking him to wave this mandate, Ainge supports it.

“I’m not saying no masks, and I’m not saying fully mask,” Lee said. “I’m saying let’s find some commonality in this that makes sense. That’s what I’m asking. There’s not enough that we understand. They’re sitting there going wait a second, wait a second, we should have more discussion — and I’d like to see it brought down to a more local level.”

This piece was written by James Samson on July 17, 2020. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.