Teacher Tapes Mask To A Child’s Face, School Refuses To Dish Consequence
Mask mandates are pretty much universal in public schools across the nation, something that many lawmakers and parents are having issues with. So, just imagine the fallout when a Pennsylvania school teacher decided to tape a mask onto a student’s face. Although the North Penn School District called the actions “inappropriate and unacceptable” what many parents are finding inappropriate and unacceptable are the consequences the teacher is facing or the lack thereof.
Mask mandates are pretty much universal in public schools across the nation, something that many lawmakers and parents are having issues with. So, just imagine the fallout when a Pennsylvania school teacher decided to tape a mask onto a student’s face. Although the North Penn School District called the actions “inappropriate and unacceptable” what many parents are finding inappropriate and unacceptable are the consequences the teacher is facing or the lack thereof.
The unidentified Pennfield Middle School teacher, shown in an image posted to the North Penn Stronger Together group Facebook page, is seen putting tape on the top and sides of the child’s mask while he sits at his desk in class, presumably with the entire class watching. What is not known by the posted picture are the circumstances surrounding such an act. In the Facebook posting, the group said, “Pro-mask or anti-mask, I hope we can all agree that taping masks to children’s faces crosses the LINE. This was not a joke for the child or the parents.”
Here’s a screenshot from the video…
The North Penn School District responded to the photo with a statement saying, “After an immediate investigation, it was determined that while the incident was isolated and no malice was intended, the actions of the teacher were entirely inappropriate and unacceptable, no matter the context.” They then said in their statement that they are addressing the matter with the teacher in question, though they didn’t mention if the teacher would be placed on leave or fired.
What they did say is that all personnel matters within the district, including any student matters, are confidential. They would not be providing any more information on the consequences of the teacher if any. The entire North Penn School District statement can be read here.
The North Penn School District also addressed the mask taping controversy during the recent school board meeting, which was greeted with a number of angry parents demanding answers. Tina Stoll, North Penn School Board President, spoke first though, offering an apology. “First and foremost I’d like to extend an apology on behalf of the district and the board of school directors to the student who was involved and to his family,” she said via NBC News.
Parents weren’t having any of it. Several parents brought questions and demanded answers. They also demanded that the teacher involved in this controversy be fired. One parent wanted to know if this is the only incident of teachers taping masks to kids.
Another parent stood up to the school board saying, “I think as parents and taxpayers we deserve to know how the situation is being handled because as of now, we’ve heard the teacher — who is a special education teacher — is not arrested for child abuse nor fired.” The school board offered no further information concerning the teacher.
Although some of the parents may not have gotten the answers they felt they deserved, another district parent told their story on the North Penn Stronger Together Facebook page of the same type of incident that happened to her son. She said the incident happened last May and that her son’s mask was tied to his face because it kept falling down beneath his nose. She said it was only when her daughter saw her son on the school bus that he finally got relief because he couldn’t get the mask off and her daughter had to cut it off with scissors.
What the mother realized, she said, after speaking with the teacher that although her actions were not meant as malicious, she felt the teacher was a “soldier of the school district” and that the actions were “distorted thoughts, feelings, and opinions about what is right for the children she is responsible for.”
There were no teacher consequences in that instance and since that time, the mother pulled her children from the North Penn School District. This is just one more black eye to the public education system seen across the country. Parents are losing confidence in the teachers, the schools, and the school districts to not only properly educate their children, but properly look after their kids as well.
If there are no consequences for teachers in instances like this, what are parents expected to do? This is just more reason for the exodus of children in public schools and the increase in numbers at private schools. School choice is quickly becoming the most popular topic surrounding schools.
