Mask Rules Should Be A Local Decision, Brick School Board Again Tells Murphy

BRICK, NJ — The Brick Township Board of Education is urging Gov. Phil Murphy to rescind his mask mandate for school districts, reiterating its stance that the decision needs to be made by local school boards.

Board President Stephanie Wohlrab, in a letter she read at the school board meeting Thursday, said Murphy has again stripped local control from school boards and called the executive order mandating masks in school unrealistic and unjust.

"To expect society, especially our children, to continue to accept mandates and restrictions indefinitely, based on suggested recommendations, is not only unrealistic, but unjust," Wohlrab wrote. "When does it end?"

Thursday's meeting in Brick was calm, unlike the raucous scenes that have played out at school board meetings in other New Jersey towns and across the country. There were no protests and no screaming matches; instead, there was applause and cheers after she finished reading the letter.

In May, Wohlrab and Superintendent Thomas Farrell had urged Murphy to return local control on masking to school boards, saying "It is time to once again let us do what we were elected to do, with our highly trained, professional staff in place – run our districts with the authority to make decisions in the best interest of our community."

The district had worked hard throughout the 2020-21 school year to keep its students and staff safe and healthy and had proven its protocols were successful, Farrell said in a news release distributed before Thursday's meeting.

The district had only one school, Brick Township High School, that was forced to go fully virtual because of an outbreak, and that outbreak resulted from a sweet 16 party, officials said.

"When Brick Schools used data-driven decision-making to implement a flexible mask plan in June due to excessive heat, our existing proactive protocols enabled us to provide a safe-learning environment for students and staff," Farrell said. "At this time, we have every reason to believe Brick Schools can successfully continue our preventative measures for in-person learning that is safe for both students and staff, while supporting effective education and the social-emotional, health, safety, and well-being of all, utilizing a flexible mask plan."

During the meeting, Farrell and Wohlrab said while the district will follow state mandates, the focus is going to be on education and empathy in the classroom, not on punitive measures.

"Some of this common sense," Farrell said, noting that if a child needs a mask break, if the classroom is hot, teachers will be able to do what's necessary for their students.

"I trust in the professionalism and empathy of our staff," Farrell said.

Wohlrab said the issue isn't the masks themselves, because the district has parents who support masks in school as well as the parents who want the choice of whether to mask their children.

"(Murphy's) taking away parents' rights and voice at the local level," she said.

Wohlrab said the local COVID-19 data shows the majority of infections and hospitalizations are happening in people ages 35 to 55 who are unvaccinated.

She thanked the parents who attended the meeting for their calm response at a time when tempers flare hourly over Murphy's mask mandate.
"I thank all of you for understanding our position on needing to follow the law," Wohlrab said, adding the district will continue to work with parents as well as the staff on the issue.

Wohlrab also said she is aware of a class-action lawsuit that has been filed by the group Free NJ Kids, which opposes Murphy's mask mandate and seeks to have it overturned. School districts have been urged to join the lawsuit, and while she participated in a conference call on it last week, Wohlrab said she still has not seen a copy of the attorney's brief on the matter, despite a request for it. She said the board's attorney needs to review it to make sure the board would not be breaking the law, and said it needs to be discussed with Farrell, because the collaboration between Farrell and the school board is critical.

"That needs to be the decision of all of us," she said, gesturing to the board and its professionals on the dais.

Here is the full text of the letter Wohlrab wrote and sent to Murphy on Thursday:

"Dear Governor Murphy:

Please accept this correspondence on behalf of the Brick Township Board of Education.
The Brick Township School District is requesting, once again, that local control be returned to
the district.

As you stated during a pre-vacation press conference regarding the stress of the past 17 months, we hope your trip to Italy provided you the break needed to recharge. Did the benefit of the trip outweigh the CDC’s Level 3 Travel Advisory Notice (dated June 16, 2021) urging Americans to reconsider travel to Italy due to a high level of COVID-19 in the country? Freedom to disregard a travel recommendation from the CDC to provide your family a much-needed respite is your right, it appears. We respect that freedom of choice and concur that the past 17 months have been stressful for all, especially our children. The past 17 months represents approximately 40% of our preschool through 2nd-grade student’s lifetime and 100% of their school experience. It is unfortunate that their families do not have the same freedom of input in their child’s health, social and emotional well-being. Upon graduation, the Class of 2022 will have spent 20% of their school experience under Executive Orders and Mandates, moreover, 45% of their sophomore year and 100% of their junior they were isolated from friends - and now in their senior year, social interaction will be limited through masking and physical distancing. Like your recent trip to Italy, our families deserve the same social justice and emotional equity.

As we approach our 3rd academic year confronting COVID-19 risks, as community members and leaders we must come together and do all we can to return the CHILD in childhood: focus on safety and wellness, effective education, voice of community, and equity. Executive Order 251 must be rescinded, allowing the opportunity for healing and community cooperation instead of dissection. To expect society, especially our children, to continue to accept mandates and restrictions indefinitely, based on suggested recommendations, is not only unrealistic, but unjust. When does it end? As stated in the attached May 27, 2021 letter, there was once a need for mandates and control to ensure the safety of our NJ communities, but it is time for the decision-making authority for school districts to be returned to where it rightfully belongs – locally! You had agreed, only to retract 8 weeks later, leaving children anxious and families disenfranchised, with uncertainty.

Furthermore, we strongly disagree with your statement that anyone opposed to Executive Order 251 does not care for the safety of children. Brick Township Public Schools administration and staff continue to demonstrate time and again that safety is our number one priority. Starting the new year under the auspices of local control, with proactive protocols in place we are prepared to provide a safe learning environment for students and staff, simultaneously supporting effective education and the social-emotional, health, safety and well-being of all, utilizing an optional mask plan. So, while we disagree on Executive Order 251, we also disagree that those who oppose it do not hold the safety and well-being of students and staff as a top priority.

As always, Brick Township Public Schools Board will continue to comply with all State mandates as our Oath of Office requires. But, as it pertains to Executive Order 251, we do so with a heavy heart for our students and community members as this mandate impedes their voices, freedom of choice, social justice, and equity."

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