Video: California school calls police to remove 4-year-old boy with developmental issues for not wearing mask, father considering legal action



California school officials called police to have a 4-year-old boy with developmental issues removed from the classroom because he wasn't wearing a mask.

An unnamed boy started transitional kindergarten at Theuerkauf Elementary on Aug. 10.

The boy suffers from sensory issues and has had difficulty wearing a face mask during the pandemic. The boy became distressed when he had to wear a mask during visits to the doctor and dentist – but the healthcare workers made accommodations for the boy with developmental issues.

The father – who only identified himself as "Shawn" out of safety concerns – claimed that he began communicating with the Mountain View Whisman School District in the spring. However, Shawn said the superintendent was unresponsive.

The school district allegedly told the father that his son could delay attending school until the age of six.

An incident emerged on Thursday after the boy had been denied access to the school since Monday. The boy's father recorded the confrontation between him and the school’s principal – Michelle Williams.

The boy is escorted out of the classroom by Williams.

“I welcome him here and I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, I want him here but it is our district’s policy to have to wear a mask,” Williams tells the boy’s father in the video.

"I am here to serve all our students on our campus," she said. "I cannot keep spending time on this same issue."

Williams told the father, "I'm going to have to have you removed from campus if you do not leave at this time."

A police officer was called, and asked Shawn to leave the campus.

"I can't say what they are doing is wrong; I can't say what you are doing is wrong," the officer told the father. "Both sides have valid points. For me, I just have to ensure on the campus as a whole that kids get their education."

Shawn told the Daily Mail, "They told me to force it on him. They are basically telling me to assault and batter my son."

"I do have a medical background, I've worked extensively in the healthcare environment. I'm well-versed in medical law," he added. "And in essence, they are breaking it.

"They feel like they can walk all over it," Shawn continued. "If a patient does not offer consent, they can not touch the patient. We're going to continue to challenge this."

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "Over the next four days, he brought his son to school and was turned away. He also hired an attorney, who sent the district a cease-and-desist letter, demanding Shawn’s son be allowed to attend school as required by the state’s constitution."

The father is reportedly considering legal action against the school.

Shawn's attorney – Tracy Henderson with the California Parents Union – asserted that the school broke the law by refusing the child.

"The school’s authority in a situation of public health issues, by law, is only to send a sick child home," Henderson said.

During Thursday night's board meeting, the school district made masks optional.

“We are now in the medium tier, so starting tomorrow, we are now in 'masks optional' for students,” said Superintendent Ayinde Rudolph.

The school district determines if masks need to be worn on a week-by-week basis based on COVID-19 cases.

Masks will still be required on buses, at large events, and for any school visitors.

Shawn was unsatisfied that the school district lifted the mask mandate because he noted that they could easily reinstate the rule.

The father wants the policy to have a parental choice on whether their children are forced to wear masks to attend school.

"I'm watching my son. I’m waking him up every day to go to school, get turned away with tears in his eyes," the father said. "He doesn’t know what’s going on, he’s visibly upset, visibly disheveled by getting turned away and rejected."

"I just think it’s time to move forward, the kids need to see faces, they need to see people smiling, they need to have a brighter outlook on the future in general," he told KABC-TV.

Superintendent Ayindé Rudolph said in a statement, "Our primary responsibility as a school district is the safety of students and staff members in order to create a peaceful learning and working environment for all on our campuses."

Rudolph said it was "unfortunate" that the parent was recording a video of the confrontation with the principal.

"I'm disappointed that civil discourse is no longer the rule," Rudolph said.

Board member Christopher Chiang said, "There is so much nasty politics and dangerous rhetoric and ideologies out there, we’re bringing a target to our district when we do that. Please don’t post it online. That changes everything."

School calls police on four year old for not wearing a mask. www.youtube.com

California school board president was caught on hot mic telling 'concerned' parent, 'F*** you'



There are calls for the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Education president to resign after she was caught on a hot mic cursing at a California parent during Tuesday's board meeting. The board meeting was the latest example of tense and impassioned confrontations between school board members and parents distressed about mask and vaccine mandates.

Several parents voiced their concerns at the board meeting, including a mother named Lauren Roupoli.

"My name's Lauren Roupoli, and I am here as a concerned parent to urge you to be the first school to say no mandates for our children," she said at the board meeting. "It should be up to every parent to make that decision."

"I urge you to say, 'No mandates for our children,'" Roupoli said, which drew applause from the other parents. "What side of history are you willing to participate? Leave our children alone. Let them be kids and enjoy one another. Let them breathe again and smile again. ... We are vocal because we are our children's biggest advocates."

Board President Marlys Davidson told Roupoli that her time was up and called on the next parent to speak. Roupoli then left the podium.

Davidson didn't realize her microphone was still on and was caught by the hot mic telling Roupoli, "F*** you."

Los Alamitos (CA) School Board President, Marlys Davidson, didn't realize her mic was still on and said “F*** You"… https://t.co/ecVUTxriMd
— Rachel Sandoval (@thesoapypea) 1635343733.0

Davidson issued an apology for cursing at the "concerned" parent.

"I am deeply sorry for the inappropriate comment that I made in last night's board meeting," Davidson said in a statement. "I am going to personally apologize to the speaker who most certainly deserves to know that when members of the public address the Board of Education, they must be heard with respect. These are trying times, but trying times demand that we rise to do our best. I reaffirm my commitment to serve our community with dignity and integrity, and I hope they will accept my sincere apology."

However, Roupoli did not accept the school board president's apology. She told KTLA-TV that she did not think the apology was sincere, and that Davidson should resign.

"After her true colors showed last night, there's no taking that back," Roupoli said. "She needs to step down."

She also claimed that the school board members are "not listening to the parents."

In June, the California Department of Public Health issued a mandatory mask mandate while indoors at K-12 schools.

Earlier this month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced that all eligible public and private school children age 12 and older will soon be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Los Alamitos USD Board Meeting Tuesday, October 26, 2021 www.youtube.com

All children — whether vaccinated or not — should wear masks for upcoming school year, say American Academy of Pediatrics; Dr. Anthony Fauci agrees



The American Academy of Pediatrics announced Monday that it recommends all children over the age of 2 years wear masks as they return for the 2021-22 school year whether or not they are vaccinated, NBC News reports.

What are the details?

In a statement, the organization said that the new guidance is a "layered approach" to protecting children and makes sense because a good portion of the school-age population is yet to be vaccinated.

At the time of this reporting, children age 12 years and over are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S.

"We need to prioritize getting children back into schools alongside their friends and their teachers," said Sonja O'Leary, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on School Health. "Combining layers of protection that include vaccinations, masking, and clean hands hygiene will make in-person learning safe and possible for everyone."

O'Leary added that children should also receive an annual flu shot in order to tamp down the spread of influenza amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The last thing we want as we come out of this pandemic is an outbreak of another vaccine-preventable disease," said O'Leary. "Now is the time for all of us to work together to keep our kids healthy and safe."

The Food and Drug Administration last week said that emergency authorization for children age 12 years and younger could come as early as midwinter.

What did Dr. Fauci say?

Dr. Anthony Fauci, leading infectious diseases expert at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that the AAP's guidance is reasonable.

"When you have a degree of viral dynamics in the community, and you have a substantial proportion of the population that is unvaccinated, that you really want to go the extra step, the extra mile to make sure that there's not a lot of transmission, even breakthrough infections among vaccinated individuals," he said.

"I think that the American Academy of Pediatrics, you know, they're a thoughtful group, they analyze the situation, and if they feel that that's the way to go go, I think that's a reasonable thing to do," he added.

Earlier in July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance stating that it doesn't believe vaccinated students need to wear a mask in the classroom.