Parents Demand Mask Choice For Students At Clark School Meeting

CLARK, NJ — Parents packed the Clark Board of Education meeting demanding a mask optional approach for the upcoming school year after Gov. Murphy mandated masks for students and staff beginning in September.

The meeting kicked off with President Steven Donkersloot reading a resolution that was unanimously passed by the board to Murphy urging a masking optional approach for the 2021-22 school year where families would be given a choice.

"The Clark Board of Ed urges Gov. Murphy to give this serious consideration to this recent executive order in favor of masking optional approach instead," said Donkersloot. "We do support a parent choice but we are under the executive order."

Mayor Sal Bonaccorso also spoke at length about having a mask optional approach. He noted the township council would reenforce the school board's resolution by voting in favor of it during Monday's meeting.

Bonaccorso also criticized Murphy's leadership and encouraged parents to protest at Trenton.

Multiple parents spoke at the meeting on Monday night. Some touted claims of the credibility of the vaccine with one man putting a magnet on another man's arm to question what is inside the vaccine. Watch the meeting here.

Others spoke about how they believe masks don't help to protect students from the virus and issues with difficulty breathing with the masks on.

Clark resident Diane Gonzalez called on the BOE to stop taking orders from Murphy and compared the situation to the Nazis.

"We reached a point when we need to stop saying it's the law and our hands are tied," said Gonzalez. "It's just like in the time with the Nazis. There were soldiers who would say 'I was just taking orders.' I guess I would ask you at what point can you just not take orders."

Murphy announced on Friday all New Jersey students, educators, staff and visitors must wear face masks in school buildings - regardless of vaccination status - when the new school year begins in September, at least to start the year. Read More: NJ K-12 Students Must Wear Masks This Fall, Gov. Murphy Says

"While this announcement gives us no pleasure, I know that by taking this precaution we can keep our schools open while also keeping our children safe. We will continue to closely monitor the science and data and will lift this mandate when we can do so safely. I urge those who are eligible for vaccination but have yet to be vaccinated to act and help move our state in the right direction," said Murphy.

The news comes amid updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which now recommends that even vaccinated individuals wear masks in areas of high or substantial transmission.

All of New Jersey has "substantial" or "high" coronavirus transmission as of Monday, triggering a recommendation to mask up in such spaces. Last week, the agency only measured "moderate" spread in Warren County, which left it out of the masking guidance. But the CDC has since upgraded the area to "substantial" transmission. Read More: Masks Now Recommended In All 21 NJ Counties, CDC Says

Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the New Jersey Education Association also support the CDC's updated guidance on face masks. Health officials, including those at the CDC, have warned of rising coronavirus case numbers in New Jersey, possibly driven by the more contagious delta variant. Vaccines are available for students ages 12-15 years old, but children ages 11-and-under still have no option for being vaccinated.

"Here in New Jersey we have seen a concerning rise in viral spread," said Dr. Jeanne Craft, President of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. "A hopeful spring has become a worrisome summer. The conditions have changed, the risk is higher, especially for children. We need to move forward with an abundance of caution. We have come so far, but we need to continue to rely on scientific evidence and expert advice to keep children, teachers, school staff and communities as safe as possible."

New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli noted that physicians around the state are concerned about the rising rate of hospitalizations from COVID-19 and the threat of the highly transmissible delta variant. Read More: Rise In Child COVID Hospitalizations Prompts Vaccination Plea

On Monday, there were 13 children hospitalized with COVID-19 in New Jersey including two in the intensive care unit.

Some local towns have also begun reinstituting a mask mandate in municipal buildings including nearby in Scotch Plains. Read More: Mask Requirement Returns At All Scotch Plains Township Buildings

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here. Don't miss local and statewide announcements. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.