APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Petitions for and against optional masking in the Appleton Area School District have been making their way throughout the community. Both petitions already have over 500 signatures.
The district’s decision to make mask-wearing optional did not sit well with a number of people, like physician and Appleton parent Beth Menzel.
“I was extraordinarily disappointed. As a physician in this community who takes care of COVID patients, my heart certainly sank.”
Menzel helped start the petition, urging Appleton Schools to make masks mandatory inside schools.
For-masking petition signers join over 100 Fox Valley healthcare workers in asking the school district to reconsider and require face masks in schools.
But not everyone agrees.
“All of this is a political debate, not based on empirical science,” said Appleton parent Sheri S. Hartzheim.
Hartzheim tells FOX 11 she joined a petition, urging the district to stay the course and follow through with its decision to keep masking optional.
“The superintendent promised us that she would ‘give it a try’ to start the school year, and we would like it to be that way. We would like it to be something that we see whether it works, before we scrap it.”
Many unmask petition signers say a big reason why school masking is such a hot button issue is because they feel making it a requirement takes away their rights as parents.
But physicians say…
“With those freedoms comes a whole heck of responsibility,” said Mendel. “Some of us have…we all have a responsibility and a duty to our society to not cause harm to other people.”
For Menzel, requiring masks in schools is about protecting the vulnerable, and it hits close to home.
“I’m hoping that they will require masks and encourage our kids to…sorry,” she said, holding back tears. “When you watch people struggle to breathe, because their grandkids brought COVID home…”
The unmask group plans to submit its petition to the Appleton School Board at the board’s next meeting Monday.
