South Side Catholic High Schools Tell Mayor To Drop Mask Mandate

CHICAGO — Five South Side Catholic high schools have penned a letter to Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D., asking them to rescind the City of Chicago’s indoor mask mandate in schools and school events.

The letter, signed by the presidents and principals of McAuley, Marist, Brother Rice, Mount Carmel and St. Rita high schools, maintain that the indoor mask mandate has outliving its usefulness and is “inflicting tangible damage to our young people that will take years to heal.”

“For the last two years, we have done all that’s been asked – and more – when it comes to combatting COVID and keeping our communities as safe as possible,” the Catholic high school leaders said. “And we have done it the right way – in partnership with our families as well as state and local public health officials and government leaders.”

The Catholic high school leaders state that infection rates in their respective schools are nearly zero, with almost 100 percent of faculty and staff vaccinated. Further, student vaccination rates are 70 percent or better. The focus now, must be on students’ mental health, as well as all Chicago youth.

“The last two years have taken a huge toll on our students. Our guidance counselors report rising caseloads of students with worsening social and emotional problems. Data from across the country tell the tale of increasing depression, suicide and other serious emotional health problems students experience as COVID restrictions continue,” the letter continued.

In a separate email to parents, Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School said only one positive case and minimal quarantines have been reported so far this month. The Catholic girls high school has had mask-free lunch periods during the 2021-2022 school year, with no outbreaks.

The Archdiocese of Chicago made Catholic schools in Lake County and most of suburban Cook County mask optional, hours after it placed Queen of Martyrs principal Doc Mathius on administrative leave, when he sent a letter to parents stating that parish elementary school would be mask optional without the archdiocese’s consent. Parents and community members have staged rallies demanding that the popular principal be reinstated.

A ruling by a downstage judge on Feb. 4 blocked the governor’s mask mandate in schools in response to a lawsuit filed by 146 school districts. However, the ruling is under appeal to the Illinois 4th District Appellate Court, as those school districts not party to the lawsuit wait for the ruling on the appeal to see whether it applies to their schools. The Archdiocese of Chicago has stated that the judge’s temporary restraining order has no jurisdiction over Catholic schools.

“We have heard from our students, our families and our communities. We see what prolonged virus-related restrictions are doing to their lives. Chicago’s young people are not immune …," Catholic school leaders said. “At the same time, we see state after state moving away from mask mandates. It’s time the city did the same.”

The letter is signed by Larry Tucker, president, and principal Meg Dunneback, of Marist High School; Mark Donahue, president, and principal Bob Alberts, of Brother Rice High School; president Brendan Conroy, and principal Scott Tabernacki, of Mount Carmel High School; Mary Klingenberger, president, and Eileen O’Reilly, of McAuley; and Jim Quaid, president and principal of St. Rita of Cascia High School.