THOMASVILLE — More than two dozen people were in attendance to declare their objections to the Thomasville City Schools’ mask mandate at Tuesday’s board of education meeting.

Exchanges often grew contentious between those opposed to the mask mandate and those who favor it. But new Superintendent Dr. Raymond Bryant Jr., in his superintendent’s report at the end of the meeting, defended the decision to impose the mask rule.

As of Friday, August 20, there were 29 COVID-19 positive test results from a system-wide student body of 2,798 and six such results from a staff numbering 379.

“That means to me these masks are working,” Bryant said. “We have school districts that went back a week after we did and they’ve already shut down. What this says is we are slowing the transmission of COVID-19 in this community, specifically in Thomasville City Schools.

“I am asking us to stay the course. What i stand on is sound data, sound information, to come to a logical conclusion.”

Bryant pointed to the death of a Decatur County principal, Bainbridge High School’s Roy Matthews, and three teachers in southwest Georgia from COVID-19. Decatur County schools also have gone to distance learning for two weeks. Cook County Schools have gone to a hybrid format. 

“This is our reality,” he said. “Two school districts, that went to school after we did, have shut down.”

Dr. Bryant said he looked at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines and how it classifies an area for low, moderate, substantial or high rates of COVID-19 transmissions.

“Within a month’s time, we have gone from 430 cases per 100,000 residents, which is the litmus test the CDC asks you to look at, to 1,206,” he said. “It has tripled, the COVID transmission rate in this community. Not in Georgia. Not next door. I’m talking about Thomas County.”

Bryant said his July 31 decision was based on the COVID-19 transmission in Thomas County, the percentage of those vaccinated and the percentage of COVID-19 positive tests. 

“We are currently hovering at 36% of people being fully vaccinated,” Bryant said of the Thomas County population.

Much of the crowd in opposition to the mask mandate did not wear masks in the school board meeting room, where seating was limited to 48. 

“There are so many others who are not and we are wearing masks, so we don’t get COVID from people who do not want to 

wear masks,” said Lucinda Brown. “If this is required, why are people in here allowed to stay without masks on? This is our school system.”

Her final sentence was met with a chorus of “exactly” from those who oppose the system’s mask mandate. 

Kyle Bass said there was no communication from the board that masks would be required at the meeting.

“This is the same lack of communication that the mask mandate began two days before school started,” he said. “There’s no communication.”

Bass, who was part of the initial protest against the city schools’ mask requirement, reiterated his opposition to it to school board members.

“I wouldn’t begin to challenge the intelligence or education represented in this room. My education comes from life experiences, unfavorable situations and harsh environments, along with a good God-given common sense,” he said. “The First Amendment guarantees our freedom of religion and not prohibit the free exercise thereof. 

“While I cannot challenge you on education, I can, however, challenge you on faith,” Bass continued. “We believe God is still on the throne and in control. We believe God designed our natural immune systems to fight off virus and disease and preventing to do so could cause irreversible damage. We believe that not wearing a mask is exercising our religious beliefs. While you may disagree with our beliefs, you don’t have the power to diminish, disregard or deny our right to exercise what we believe.”

Glen Scoggin told board members that a decision for a child to wear a mask should be left up to the parents.

“We are here to support the rights of parents to make medical and personal decisions for themselves and for their children,” he said. “Whether a child should wear a mask in a public school because of supposed medical reasons is wholly the responsibility and right of a parent. 

“Rights, even parental rights, come from God our Creator and not from any elected or appointed bureaucrat.”

Scoggin also charged that such mask mandates are an effort to control children from a young age.

“It’s about the overthrow of parental rights,” he said, “the intent of politicians and bureaucrats to completely take over the medical systems of America and in doing so, take over one-sixth of the American economy. This is about politicians and unions hijacking American schools and turning them into indoctrination centers. This is about fear-mongering to control the mindset and world view of a generation of young Americans.”

Effectiveness of masks questioned

Others who also spoke against the masks cited studies that called into question the masks’ effectiveness.   

Katherine Bannister, who has a child in the city schools system, said the science shows masks being ineffective and that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes for Health aren’t consistent in their guidelines. 

Angie Durham pointed to children having a 99.97% survival rate from COVID-19 and that 40,000 children attended YMCA child care at 1,100 facilities without any outbreaks.

“Studies have shown that the only masks that work are N95 masks fitted to an individual’s face,” she said. “Over 31 studies have shown that cloth and surgical masks don’t work. If pollen can get through your screen window, COVID can get through an unapproved mask.”

Durham, who has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in social work, said masks often have an adverse effect on children.

“Oxygen levels deplete while wearing masks, and affect our children’s ability to focus, thereby causing grades to suffer,” she said.

Durham also said children are dealing with increased anxiety and depression. 

“Having these children wear these masks is nothing more than abuse and more,” she said. “Children need smiles from their teachers.”

The mother of four children in the city school system, Elizabeth Hanscom said her 14-year-old complained the masks led to dizziness and an inability to focus and concentrate during algebra class.

“I’m going to listen to him,” she said. “And if I don’t stand up in front of you for him, who else is going to?”

Hanscom said the mandate means children are wearing a mask seven hours a day.

“This mandate is shocking and unwarranted,” she said. “The CDC itself says 74% of patients affected with COVID claim to wear a mask all of the time. Does that sound like an effective way to prevent this virus at all?

“I’m sad that I am here asking you, the school board members, to give us our freedoms back as parents, asking you to let me choose what’s best for my children’s health and well-being. There are other ways for you to encourage mask-wearing.”

Dr. Salli Lehman, a Thomasville pediatrician and mother of three children in the school system, backed the system’s mask directive.

“I don’t pretend to have all the answers,” she said. “We are constantly learning about new variants. We have to do this the best we can with what we know.”

Lehman added that there are significantly more COVID-19 cases, and more severe cases, among children than before. 

“We’re at a point where, for our community’s sake, we have to take precaution,” she said. “Wearing a mask actually decreases the potential spread of COVID by the person wearing the mask, It now becomes a public health issue. We have to work together to protect our most vulnerable.”

Dr. Lehman acknowledged there could be exceptions to the mask wearing rule but offered her support of the system’s decision.

“I fully support the mask expectations currently in place for students, teachers and staff,” she said. 

Mask mandate also has support

Lakortornette Gabriel said her niece had to go into quarantine because of possible exposure to COVID-19.

“I ask that we keep the mandate to protect our students and our teachers because COVID is on the rise,” she said. “Please, please, keep the mask mandate. I know a lot of people want to politicize it. Let’s keep our students and teachers safe.”

Gabriel also asked the board to allow parents to choose a virtual learning option and to put more emphasis on contact tracing.

Brown told board members she knew of a 17-year-old and a 3-year-old who died as a result of COVID-19 complications.

“I am representing African-Americans in Thomasville,” she said, “and we do not want anybody coming to the schools without a mask. The one thing this school system should be doing is two things — educating the children and making sure they’re safe.”

Brown said she has a grandchild going to Jerger Elementary School and she doesn’t want that 5-year-old to be exposed to the virus because someone wasn’t warning a mask and spread it elsewhere.

“It is real,” she said. “So superintendent and board members, do not delete or take away these mask mandates.” 

Staying in school

Some of those opposed to the mandate and those in support said they want to see kids remain in in-person instruction. 

“School districts don’t have a lot of tools as it relates to us having any fighting chance of resuming face-to-face instruction,” Bryant said. “Virtual works for some, but for most, it does not. I do not want, with any ounce of being, want to go to a funeral for one of the staff members here or for one of the students here when we had a fighting chance to do something about it. 

“I am asking our community, please wear your mask. This is the reason the decision has been made. As adults, we have to work together and be the examples for our children, who are malleable and impressionable.” 

Bryant also thanked the teachers and leaders for what they have done during “unprecedented times and hopefully, that we will never see again.”