Portage School District Parents Sue Superintendent And Others Over Mask Mandate

The public school teacher unions, teachers, administrations and school boards around the country have awoken a sleeping giant and they are the parents of their students.  Parents are suing their school districts around the country and now in southwest Michigan.

According to reporting the seven parents have filed suit, on behalf of their children, in Kalamazoo County 9th Circuit Court last Tuesday. The parents are suing Portage Superintendent Mark Bielang, all seven Portage Board of Education members, and the district.

The lawsuit contends that Bielang does not have the authority to mandate the children wear masks at school because he is not an elected official.  They also stated the Portage school district is breaking the law by mandating masks after the Kalamazoo county health department’s own mask mandate order expired on December 17th.

According to the Portage Public Schools spokesperson Michelle Karpinski, the current Mask mandate in the district states that students in their Kindergarten through eighth grade must wear masks all day except for lunch.  The Portage School District High school students must wear masks only during class.  

How does only wearing your masks during class protect any of these students from contracting Covid?

The lawsuit states that “There are zero state or county health department health orders that mandate mask-wearing amongst students”.  

According to reporting by MLive, the parents believe that “because the health department’s order was rescinded, it is “implied” that there is no longer imminent danger in schools in Kalamazoo County. A school is not authorized to enforce a public health order that is “no longer valid”.

The lawsuit also states:

Plaintiffs request the court declare that a mask is a medical device and the Portage Public Schools cannot mandate students to use a medical device absent parent permission…We are now here on Jan. 3, 2022, where an unelected public school superintendent believes he has unfettered power to make and enforce ‘Public Health Law’ and violate multiple statues in the (Michigan School Code,”)

One of those parents is Kelly Sackett.  She told wwmt news:

“We feel it should be parent choice…If children want to wear masks to school, they can go right ahead and wear masks to school, but it should always be the parents’ choice. It should not be mandated."

Kelly will be on my show today at 10:00 am est, please tune in to learn more about this lawsuit and the parent's legitimate concerns.  The interview with also be on our podcast application  "Radio on Demand" after the show.