The Good, Bad, Ugly In Renewed IL School Mask Debate

CHICAGO AREA, IL — Masks in schools have been a topic of debate for parents since face coverings first became required for all Illinois students.

Parents have stormed school board meetings, put up billboards along highways and gotten into arguments with other parents over the issue. There have been friendships ruined over the debate.

So, it should come as no surprise that chaos followed when a downstate Illinois judge ruled in favor of a temporary restraining order last week, essentially allowing schools to lift their mask mandates.

Currently, some school districts are recommending — but not requiring — masks, which means some children are going mask-free while others have kept their masks on. Other schools are only allowing children listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit to go mask-free, while some are requiring masks for all.

Patch.com posted a survey last week that garnered more than 300 responses. As part of the survey, more than 55 percent of parents reported sending their children to school with masks on this week. Almost 45 percent of those responding said their kids left their masks at home.

• Masked or Unmasked: Have IL School Changes Affected Your Child?

And while some said it has been smooth sailing since the changes have been announced, others reported kids pushing each other in the hallways, students coming home crying due to bullying and teasing, "segregation" from teachers and threats of violence.

Children who've gone unmasked have been called "murderers" and have been accused of trying to get others sick, according to some parents who responded. Teachers have also reportedly "segregated" students, putting unmasked students in separate rooms or requesting they switch seats to move them away from masked children.

"My child does not want to wear a mask but is afraid to be singled out by teachers and administrators at his school. They have been segregating the maskless, they are sitting in school suspension, not allowed hot lunch and not being taught," one parent reported in the survey.

One mother, who says her daughter attends a Plainfield District 202 school and hasn't been wearing a mask, said she's been called vulgar names.

"Students have even gone as far as threatening to jump 'antimaskers' and have made several Instagram pages to target students not wearing a mask," according to the mother. Others have used Snapchat to level threats, some parents said.

Children wearing masks have been called "sheep" or "snowflakes," some parents said. The mask-free children are coughing on masked children in some school districts, other parents reported. Parents of high schoolers reported high peer pressure not to wear a mask and only a small number of kids choosing to wear masks because of that pressure.

"How can this be ok to put so much pressure on kids already dealing with so much living in this pandemic?" wrote the parent of a high school student in the northwest suburbs.

Some children wearing masks have medical conditions or live with family members who are at a high risk of becoming seriously ill because of COVID-19. One mother explained her family is choosing to wear masks since they still have a baby, who cannot yet receive a vaccine, at home.

"My high schooler have witnessed fights, my grade schoolers have been pressured to remove them by their peers," she said. "We still have a baby at home so until baby is vaxxed we will continue to mask."

On the positive side, the proud parents of dozens of suburban students said people at their schools have been respectful.

"Everyone does what they want and no judgment. Out of respect, the kids all chose to — and weren’t asked to — put their mask on for a teacher whose child is going through chemo," wrote a suburban parent in response to our survey.

The debate over masks has become political during the pandemic. The new mask rules have led to more division. Some parents of mask-free kids are referring to the maskers as liberals and the maskers are calling the umasked kids "Trumpies."

Parents of school-age children who care strongly about the topic seem to either be in favor of following science and health officials' advice on masks as a way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 or in favor of freedom of choice and argue masking and keeping kids at home is leading to serious mental health issues and infringes on our constitutional rights.

District 300 parents and students, as well as Republican candidates for state and local races, rallied outside the district offices of Community Unit District 300 in Algonquin on Tuesday, calling on school officials to drop its mask mandate, the Daily Herald is reporting. The rally drew more than 150 people.

A school board meeting followed the rally, with board members asking for a recess at one point due to "safety concerns," according to the article. One parent told police to arrest her after she was asked to leave when she spoke out of turn, and another parent was escorted out after responding to comments from the board president, according to the Daily Herald.

Parents sounding off in Patch's survey pointed to the parents of the bullies on both sides of the issue as being the root cause for the renewed mask drama.

"Obviously, their parents are teaching them that it's OK," wrote one Oak Forest 142 parent, who said they have a masked child who has been bullied.

Meanwhile, in many school districts, things have been calm in the hallways but, in some cases, parents have been bullying other parents outside school.

"The kids have been respectful. The only bullying has been parents who wish to see masks on indefinitely sending emails to the parents in the district involved in the recent lawsuit angry emails (e.g. "shame on you") and encouraging others to do the same," wrote the parent of a Winnetka District 36 student. "Also, several parents have asked their children to make a list of those students wearing masks and those not wearing masks."

In announcing their decision on masks this past week, most school districts urged parents to encourage their children to be kind and respectful.

Crystal Lake District 47 is among the Chicago-area elementary school districts where children are now allowed the option to wear masks or not.

Tony Brooks, director of special education for District 47, told Patch that D47's social-emotional learning and wellness coordinators have created resources for elementary students that focuses on the importance of masking being a choice.

Students are encouraged to accept differences, make their own choices, respect differences and keep it positive.

"These resources allow staff to address the topics that may come with masking. As a district we are committed to tackling the topic of bullying every fall and have readdressed this topic in lieu of the recent changes. Teachers have access to resources that they can use or repeat if there were to be a need within their classrooms," Brooks told Patch in an email response. "Additionally, social workers are always available to support students, teachers and classrooms if an issue arises that requires the need to address respect and kindness."

While the noise from both sides of the mask issue has been making headlines, several more parents say there have been no issues between masked and unmasked kids at their school. Here's what some of those parents had to say in our survey:

"... my children have noticed in instances where many are wearing masks, more will put them on to keep others from feeling uncomfortable."

"Everyone does what they want and no judgment. Out of respect, the kids all chose to (and weren’t asked to) put their mask on for a teacher who’s child is going through chemo."

"My high school (student) came home more talkative about his school day and smiling about seeing his friends and teachers faces."

"There are conversations going on at the end of the day between the kids that are not masking and the ones that are. It is a small group that this is happening with and just talk and only for a few minutes as they exit the school."

Here's some more of the responses we've received from parents when we asked if their child has been bullied or teased this past week:

They have been made fun of to the point they come home crying.

They have been bullied and also witnessed bullying. Kids are telling my kids to “just take your mask off already” “ you already had covid, why the heck are you wearing one?!” Truth is, my son’s teacher is a cancer survivor. I told him that it is respectful to keep your mask on and keep your teacher safe. Plus, the schools are still encouraging masks so we should respect their request. Their hands are tied because of this lawsuit. It’s a shame. If we could all just be civil adults and wait until this surge calms down, I’m sure the mask mandate would be removed anyway. There’s no patience or humanity left amongst a large population of the parents in this community. We are not teaching our kids to respect rules and the requests of their superiors and that is the biggest shame of all of this. Entitlement runs rampant here…and it all starts with the parents. It’s just sad.

My child does NOT want to wear a mask but is afraid to be singled out by teachers and administrators at his school. They have been segregating the maskless, they are sitting in in school suspension , not allowed hot lunch and not being taught!!!

Yes. My fifth grader has had the most issues the last few days. Kids have told him he’s an idiot. To just take off the mask. Doesn’t he know he doesn’t need it anymore? We have been in contact with the school.

Not bullied or teased for wearing a mask. But my child is scared and feels unsafe because the school environment has become on the brink of violent with no mask kids gathering and chanting and disgruntled parents showing up at the school and entering school grounds without permission.

Yes, my girls have both experienced bullying. They both spoke at our board meeting on Monday night. Somebody posted one of my daughter's speech to a group chat that tends to be more left leaning. They are both experiencing cyber bullying. After going without masks the beginning of the week, they both returned to mask wearing today with the main reason being they are in fear of what their teachers think as well as their friends. It's very sad that my girls have been demonized for standing up for something they strongly believe in.

The kids have been respectful. The only bullying has been parents who wish to see masks on indefinitely sending emails to the parents in the district involved in the recent lawsuit angry emails (e.g. "shame on you") and encouraging others to do the same. Also, several parents have asked their children to make a list of those students wearing masks and those not wearing masks.

A teacher was treated very poorly by both students & parents for asking students to wear masks if approaching her desk in her classroom. She explained that she has medically fragile family members, which was made fun of & ridiculed

Yes. She was called a murderer and a racist. Not sure how that even makes sense. Students have even gone as far as threatening to jump “antimaskers” and have made several Instagram pages to target students not wearing a mask.

Yes, there has been bullying at elementary level, to those who are NOT wearing masks… the unmasked children are being told- by masked children- they’re the reason people are dying… and that their grandpa is dying, etc. And this is only at elementary level. It’s disgusting!

My child has the option to wear a mask or not, however he is so scared to take the mask off. The whole mask persona has given him so much anxiety and psychological affects that I am not sure if he will ever be the same child he was before. He was the type of child that never met a stranger. He was such a happy go lucky child and loved life. Now he is more reserved and withdrawn. It’s so incredibly sad what this has done to our children!

Our high school students have been verbally taunted and physically attacked. These same monsters are screaming at teachers wearing masks.

Yes by kids not wearing masks they call her a sheep … sad she has an underlying condition and is petrified now that kids don’t have to wear them

My daughter feels like she is judged by her teachers and peers for choosing to not wear a mask. Enough has been said about those who don’t wear masks prior to the removal of masks that it’s caused anxiety in her choice to show her face. She has also said teens are choosing to keep their masks to hide their face. They feel ugly or they feel like it’s hiding acne, so they prefer to hide behind the mask. That was so tragic to hear. So much damage has been done carrying this mask wearing on for so long.