MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A group of Tennessee parents is taking their concerns regarding mask mandates in schools straight to Governor Bill Lee’s office.
Dozens of Mid-South parents gathered in the Southland Mall parking lot with one goal in mind, and they say that’s to push for more COVID safety precautions in their children’s schools.
Bridgett Bradley is among several other Shelby County School parents who say they not only want to see more virtual learning options within the school district, but they also want to see an enforced mask mandate in all schools.
“We have children that are dying and teachers that are dying, and no one seems to care,” said parent Bridgett Bradley. We got to step up. If we don’t fight for our children, then who will?”
That’s why these parents and even some students packed up early Thursday morning to head to Nashville and express those concerns to Governor Bill Lee.
The governor’s executive order that would allow parents to opt-out their children out of school mask mandates is currently blocked by a federal judge.
However, the state general attorney is now appealing that ruling, saying, “These orders have impeded the governor’s executive authority during an emergency to direct the State’s public health response.”
This trip to Nashville comes just one day after a group of protestors gathered outside Memphis City hall and rallied against vaccine and mask mandates. In the crowd were several Mid-South parents who were not in support of school mask mandates.
“I don’t want to hear from any doctor, from any health department, from any CDC about another mandate about putting a diaper on my kid’s face that doesn’t need to be there,” one parent at the rally said.
“There’s going to be a minority and majority in both of those,” said parent Marcus Randolph. “Let’s say you’re in a majority situation where everybody wants masks, and you don’t want your child to wear a mask. Well, you can keep your child at home and homeschool them.”
