Mask Foes Speak Out At Hinsdale D-86

HINSDALE, IL — Mask opponents have been showing up at school board meetings around the state, loudly applauding those who share their views. Hinsdale High School District 86 is no exception.

At Thursday's District 86 meeting, a few anti-mask speakers seemingly took members to task for requiring students to wear masks. But masks were mandated by the governor for all schools more than a week earlier. And an Elmhurst private school learned quickly the consequences for challenging the order.

During public comment, Hinsdale resident Mike DeCaigny said he went through his whole day without seeing masks, a day that included going for coffee, working in the office and meeting with clients. But he was required to wear one at the school board meeting.

"So my question to this board is, why is everyone else getting back to normal, but the school is not?" he said.

DeCaigny also commented on the school administration's return-to-school plan as it relates to the pandemic.

"The negative impact on our children is detrimental beyond the vaccines, masks and this whole (stigma) you put on these kids. I hope you move along quicker and get back to normal as quickly as possible because all I heard about are new bureaucratic processes," he said.

Clarendon Hills resident Polly Ascher said most of the community wanted to return to normal.

"While I understand mandated masking even for vaccinated individuals is the reality, I encourage D-86 to hire a third party to look at this, especially the harms of masking from a psychological, physical and academic angle," she said. "I encourage you ... to determine if masking, especially vaccinated, healthy kids, sometimes for more than 10 hours a day with few breaks, is really best practice for our community and if it is truly making a difference with spread in our schools."

She said children were deceived into believing life would return to normal if they got the vaccine.

"They will not forget this inhumane cruelty that has been thrust upon them," Ascher said. "History will not look kindly on what we have done to these children."

Another resident, Lisa Pomeroy, called the governor's order "atrocious." She said it seemed as if everything had already been agreed to under Superintendent Tammy Prentiss' return-to-school plan, saying the Illinois State Board of Education would dictate everything.

In Elmhurst, Timothy Christian Schools learned last week that going mask optional brings immediate consequences. Within hours, the state pulled its recognition of the school, meaning its students were barred from Illinois High School Association athletics, among other things.

Timothy quickly reversed course. The state reinstated the school.

It was the first school believed to have challenged the governor's order, according to the state.