VA Mom Draws Cheers After Letting School Board Have It for 'Asinine' Mask Policy That Defies Governor's Order
Virginia mom Merianne Jensen let the Prince William County School Board have it Wednesday night for defying GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order ending mask mandates statewide.
Prince William County, outside of Washington, D.C., is one of seven that has sued Youngkin over the order, though over 50 of the commonwealth’s approximately 130 school districts are not complying, The Washington Post reported.
Jensen started comments to the board by stating they are seeking the same thing: to have people safely get through COVID.
“Unfortunately, politics leads us to believe there is only one solution, masks. Yet thousands of schools around the country have been open during the entire pandemic without masks, and no corresponding rise in serious illness,” she said.
“In fact things have going pretty much as normal. Kids are getting sick despite wearing masks. We are forcing healthy children home for exposure, despite them wearing masks,” Jensen continued.
The mother further noted that children are being segregated in the district by vaccination and religious exemption status, though they wear masks.
“So I ask you, if masks work, why don’t they?” Jensen queried with indignation in her voice. Many in the audience cheered in response.
SHE HAD THE RECEIPTS: Last year the Prince William County School Superintendent claimed “her hands were tied” by then-governor Northam’s mask mandate for students…
WATCH Virginia mom Merianne Jensen call out the hypocrisy pic.twitter.com/BzkyumkRbo
— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) February 3, 2022
“Here are the facts. They are available to any one of you. Over the course of the pandemic, 49,000 children have died of all causes; 331 of those were COVID related. Yet, we have turned kids’ lives upside down at school for what is essentially a non-risk,” she said.
[firefly_poll]
She pointed out that accidents, suicide, homicide, cancer and heart disease take far more youth’s lives each year than COVID has.
“Do we even address the growing incidences of suicide during the pandemic? No! We play politics with kids’ faces by placing restricting fabric over their noses and mouths that the CDC itself has said don’t do anything,” Jansen said.
“This is asinine! This is blatant political theater, and it needs to end,” she continued.
“We have turned kids’ lives upside down for what is essentially a non-risk. . . We play politics with kids’ faces.” — Merianne Jensen
I was proud to stand with Prince William County parents and teachers last night as they took their fight to the school board.
— Jeanine Lawson (@JeanineLawsonVA) February 3, 2022
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an update last month saying cloth masks offer the least protection against COVID-19 transmission, while well-fitted surgical masks and KN95s are significantly superior.
Jansen went on to recount that she had met one-on-one with school Superintendent LaTanya McDade in November about ending the mask mandate in the district.
At the time, she said, McDade told the mother her hands were tied because of then Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam’s statewide mask mandate order issued before the start of the school year.
“Things are different,” Jensen pointed out in a reference to Youngkin assuming the governorship last month and ending the mask mandate. Once again many in the audience cheered.
“What do you plan on doing now that your hands are untied?” she asked.
Jensen concluded, directing her comment to the entire school board: “You are on the losing side of history, and it’s time to make that right before these children now.”
