Virginia Mother Opposed To Masks Threatens To Bring Loaded Guns To School

LURAY, VA — Page County Public Schools are working with local police departments to increase police presence at schools after a mother threatened at a school board meeting Thursday to bring loaded guns to her children’s schools on Monday if students are required to wear masks in school.

The Page County Public Schools district, in the Shenandoah Valley, said the Page County Sheriff's Office and the Luray Police Department are planning to increase their police presence at area schools on Friday and Monday.

During the citizen comment period of the Page County School Board meeting on Thursday, a woman, who identified herself as Amelia King of Luray, said she opposes a mask mandate.

“My children will not come to school on Monday with a mask on. That’s not happening,” the mother said, according to a recording of the school board meeting. “I will bring every single gun loaded and ready. I will see ya’ll on Monday.”

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order on Jan. 15 reversing the state's school mask mandates, effective Jan. 24, saying it should be a parent's choice whether their children wear a mask to school. Several school divisions, including many in Northern Virginia, have said they will continue to require students to wear masks in school.

Page County Public Schools Superintendent Antonia Fox and School Board Chair Megan Gordon released a joint letter to the Page County school community on Friday, saying the school district "does not take these kinds of statement lightly."

"Not only do comments such as these go against everything we wish to model for our students, they go against the very nature of how we as a community should interact with each," the letter said. "Violence and threats are never acceptable or appropriate. This kind of behavior is not tolerated from our students, faculty, staff, nor will it be tolerated by parents or guests of our school division."

At each school in Page County, including in Luray, the county seat, police agencies will have an increased presence on Friday and Monday, the letter said. The county has four elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools.

The Luray Police Department, Page County Sheriff’s Office and the Page County Commonwealth’s Attorney are investigating this incident, according to the Luray Police department.

"The statement that was made absolutely caused public alarm, the parent that made the statement realized that, and immediately contacted law enforcement to apologize because the statement was not intended the way it was perceived," the Luray Police Department said in a statement emailed to Patch.

The department said King is cooperating with law enforcement and that no arrests have been made.

The Luray Police Department also said it has reached out to state and federal law enforcement agencies about the incident.

Over the past year, school officials across Virginia have received regular threats from parents opposed to virtual learning, school curriculums and other issues.