Staff, students to ‘walkout’ over mask mandates in New York

People affiliated with West Islip and Massapequa high schools are planning to walk out on Friday and protest what they consider to be overly draconian New York State rules for schools in what is coming to be known as "School Walkout day."

According to local outlet News 12 Long Island, parents want to make their feelings known to government officials that parents should have some choice in the matter.

"I think that it should be optional," commented Veronica Walrapp, a parent. "I think parents should have the choice to make that decision for their children. I’m not against masks."

Some parents are planning to keep their kids home, period. Others are planning to make more of a show of things by showing up early for their children.

The superintendent of the Massapequa school district responded to people potentially walking out on Friday with the following:

"An unauthorized exit from the building will be viewed as an infraction to our Code of Conduct and will result in consequences as outlined in the code. This includes jeopardizing a fall athlete's eligibility to participate as a Massapequa team member."

Unrest continues all over the country as controversy continues to rage over the subject of child mask mandates. Acrimonious school board meetings are likely to continue nationwide as the pandemic wears on.