BATON ROUGE, La. — The state’s top school board was scheduled to discuss whether kids and teachers should have to wear masks in schools Wednesday in Baton Rouge, but they never made it to that agenda item because the crowd refused to put their masks on.
The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, BESE, asked the full room of mostly unmasked parents to wear their masks to comply with Governor Edwards' mask mandate. The parents were there to fight for their right to choose whether their kids wear masks in schools.
"Masks are required in this meeting room," a board member reminded the crowd multiple times. "Failure to comply will result in removal from this meeting room."
A person in the crowd shouted back.
"I can't hear you with the mask on. I read lips and I'm sick and tired of this mask crap," the woman said.
Board members left the room, leaving audience members to voice their frustrations to each other.
"You have the opportunity to stand up for America," Rev. Tony Spell with Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge said.
Spell lead group chants.
"No more masks! No more masks!" the audience chanted.
At one point, Spell turned to the news crews in the room and spoke into the cameras.
"You are lying to the general public, but there is more science and data to show the mask and vaccine are harming our children, not helping our children," he said.
Spell was arrested last year for holding in-person church services during the stay-at-home order.
BESE members returned to the meeting but never made it to item number 9 on their agenda where they would consider an Opinion from Attorney General Jeff Landry that says BESE should have the final say over whether kids and teachers have to mask up in school, despite the statewide mask mandate.
The official opinion reads: "Governor Edwards reinstated a statewide mask mandate, which purportedly applies to Louisiana's schools although the mandate contains no specific language regarding masks in schools."
"If you want to have a discussion, please put on a mask," a BESE member said to the vocal crowd.
The St. Tammany Parish School Board issued a petition last week agreeing masks should be optional.
"If you want to wear the mask wear it, but don't take our right to choose not to," someone in the crowd said.
Medical professionals who were scheduled to share COVID updates told the board they were too uncomfortable to enter the room with so many unmasked people.
"Everyone in the room is going to have to be wearing a mask," a BESE member said, hoping to hear from the medical professionals. "If that's not the case, the board won't be able to hear the testimony of the medical experts."
The meeting was cut short after the audience still refused.
"Madam President?" a BESE member said. "Due to the fact that the audience has ignored the request to wear masks, I move we adjourn the meeting."
The motion passed 8 - 2 and the board left the room.
BESE is not scheduled to meet again until October and they have not yet said if or when they will revisit this item.
State Rep. Larry Frieman (R) who represents District 74 including the Northshore, hoped to speak at the meeting.
"I think BESE made a terrible mistake today. I talked from people all over the state who showed up to talk and they deprived them their rights," Frieman said.
The statewide mask mandate is set to expire on September 1, but it may be extended.