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Cuyahoga Falls parents, students discuss district's mask mandate extension

The district's superintendent extended a mask mandate through the end of October Friday; Some parents question future mandates.

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — Another school board meeting battle over masks continued Wednesday in Cuyahoga Falls.

“Medical masks are loose-fitting and have no significant impact on transmission,” Benjamin Browden, a meeting attendee said

“I’ve asked to speak tonight to publicly thank Dr. Nichols and the board of education on your decision to extend the mask mandate in our schools,” one teacher said to the crowd.

“We’ve been told to follow science for 20 months. Well, anthropology, psychology and sociology are sciences, too,” another teacher said.

RELATED: Furor over mask mandate causes abrupt end to Lakewood Board of Education meeting

The heated debate comes after Cuyahoga Falls schools' superintendent, Todd Nichols, las ween extended a mask mandate to the end of October.

“Of course they all have to kick us out because we're not wearing masks,” Bryan Norris, a parent against the mask mandate, said. 

A school board meeting last month was cut short after parents refused to wear masks.

A different scene played out at the following board meeting Wednesday where there was a police presence and the meeting was moved to a public location.

Parents took to the podium to voice support or dissent about the mask mandate extension.

“Anyone in history who has mandated things or forced people to do things were never the good guys,” Norris continued. 

RELATED: Chagrin Falls school district to mandate masks for all students, staff, visitors

3News attempted to speak with those opposed to the mandate, but they declined.

Also making their voice heard Wednesday was 10-year-old Kaylan Park, a fifth-grade student in the district.

“If you can't take it from an adult, kids have to step in,” Park said. “You're just saving lives and kids they should know, it's just, like, kindness.”

“She just spoke from the heart,” Park’s mother, Sunny Matthews, said.

Another concern for parents who feel the mask mandate is too far-reaching: Vaccine mandates. Hearings are underway in the Ohio State Legislature about an anti-vaccine mandate bill, House Bill 244.

RELATED: Northeast Ohio school districts update mask guidelines for 2021-22 school year

Nichols told 3News a vaccine mandate isn't being discussed at the moment.

“Honestly, we don't think there's a whole lot of traction,” Nichols said.

“For house bill 244?” 3News reporter, Marisa Saenz, asked.

“Yeah,” Nichols responded. “It's been hard enough to talk about a mask mandate, but if you're talking about a vaccination mandate, I mean, I hope people get vaccinated cause it works but in terms of mandating it, I’m not there.”

Nichols said he will reevaluate the mask mandate and local COVID-19 data the last week of October to determine any further extensions.

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