Some parents are suing Tri-County Health Department over its mask mandate. At issue is whether teachers and administrators can be arrested, charged, and prosecuted, not only if they don’t wear masks themselves in school, but if their students don’t wear masks.
According to CBS4 News, The superintendent of Littleton Public Schools told the school board last week they could be held criminally liable for not enforcing the mask mandate. Tri-County Health says if educators don’t enforce the mandate, it’s a class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison and a $5,000 fine.
“I’m not an anti-masker. I support anything that we can do. What I am against is abusing the power of teachers against their will, against the will of the children, and against the will of people,” said Tara Kohl, whose son is a 3rd grader at Pine Grove Elementary School in Parker.
According to Mile High City News, Tara is one of ten parents suing Tri-County Health after teachers at her son’s school refused to let him in unless he was wearing a mask. “There were about 30 children behind him. His friends, our neighbors, people who are important to him.
He was humiliated in front of everyone. My son crouched crying in the corner and covered his face, ”said Kohl. Kohl says Tri-County Health is to blame for what she calls a culture of fear and intimidation. It is the public health system, she says, has turned teachers into law enforcement.
“I don’t expect teachers and principals to risk their jobs for something like this. It is completely inappropriate. “ Attorney George Brauchler says it’s also illegal. He is filing a lawsuit on behalf of the parents. “The idea that we make parents and teachers enforcers of this order at the risk of their own freedom is not American. We are now threatening people with the strongest powers of government to lock you up and take your liberty for them to abide by. “
