Parent Who Fought And Lost To Remove Gay-Themed Books Opposes School Board's Mask Stance

FAIRFAX, VA — A Fairfax County parent-activist criticized the school board's decision to continue requiring masks for health reasons at schools in opposition to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's executive order on optional masking.

Earlier in the week, the Fairfax County School Board joined six other school boards in filing a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Youngkin's executive order, and whether school boards have the authority to enact local policies. The school districts collectively represent around 350,000 students in Virginia, led by FCPS with over 178,000 students.

The lawsuit will answer if Article VIII, § 7 of the Constitution of Virginia gives school boards sole authority over supervising schools in their communities or whether an executive order can override that authority.

"With COVID-19 transmission rates high, our hospitals at crisis level, and the continued recommendation of health experts to retain universal mask wearing for the time being, this is simply not the time to remove this critical component of layered health and safety mitigation strategies," the school districts said, in a statement.

Related: Youngkin Mask Order Challenged By 7 Virginia School Districts

On Tuesday, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voiced its support for the school board's stance. On an 8-1 vote, it authorized sending a letter to Youngkin, voicing its own opposition to the mandate and asked the governor to work with school districts to establish a set of guidelines for returning to school safely without masks.

"These practices are crucial if we want to continue to keep schools open and minimize staff and student absenteeism," Board Chair Jeff McKay said. "Here in Fairfax County, we're committed to keeping schools open. We spent two long years slowing the spread of COVID-19 to facilitate just that. We follow the science and our trusted health professionals."

During the public comment portion of Thursday's school board meeting, Stacy Langton, a Fairfax High School parent, criticized the school board's decision to oppose the governor's executive order.

"FCPS itself gives no compliance with the governor's authority," she said. "They mask their retaliation under the guise of protecting our kids. You don't protect them. You demonstrated that by providing our kids with perversion and calling it beneficial. Now you're stifling children with indefinite mask wearing. Look at the harm you've done."

McKay said two days earlier that because FCPS took precautions, including requiring masks, when bringing students back for in-person learning for the 2021-22 school year, no school in the county has had to close for a single day because of COVID-19.

"It is our duty and that of the Fairfax County School Board to prioritize the health and safety to the best of our abilities, including to ensure the best education for our students," he said.

The mention of perversion by Langton harkened back to her outspoken opposition in 2021 to FCPS high school libraries carrying two LGBTQ-themed books. Banning the two books became a culture wars rallying cry for Republicans prior to last November's election.

Related: Banning Books In Schools Becomes Rallying Cry For VA Republicans

Although "Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Kobabe and "Lawn Boy" by Jonathan Evison were removed temporarily from library shelves, a school district review found no merit in the challenges by Langton and others. The two books were returned to county high school libraries.

In her comments to the board, Langton described opposition to the governor's executive order as tyranny and said FCPS was giving parents "the middle finger."

"You all should be fired for your retaliation," she said. "Refusing to follow an executive order in Virginia has a one-year jail sentence. How about it officers? Gonna do anything about these lawless lawbreakers sitting before you?"

Related: Youngkin's Masking Order For Schools Opposed By County Board

By filing a lawsuit, the seven school boards are asking the courts to determine if the executive order can reverse Virginia General Assembly legislation, which requires in-person instruction while schools follow CDC's COVID-19 mitigation strategies.

"School divisions need to continue to preserve their authority to protect and serve all our students, including our most vulnerable, who need these mitigation measures perhaps more than anyone to be able to continue to access in-person instruction," the school boards said, in their statement.