FARGO--On Wednesday, Nov. 3, approximately 50 parents and 7 children spent their lunch hour standing outside Fargo Cass Public Health (FCPH) to protest its direction to the Fargo Public School (FPS) to mask all children. FPS parents Cassie Schmidt, Allie Ollenburger, and Brooke Voight organized the protest. The event focused on FCPH’s use of federal CDC guidelines for FPS policy instead of data from FPS and West Fargo Public Schools (WFPS) showing that masks do not prevent transmission of COVID in schools.
Noel Voight attended the protest with her husband and children. Voight discussed Ben Franklin Middle School, which had students duct tape masks to their faces to keep them from drooping. “I’m worried for my son. He has to attend Ben Franklin School next fall,” she said. The duct taping of masks to nose and forehead occurred in a science class under direction of the teacher from Mid-September through late October. Reports from parents and students indicate that it occurred multiple times to multiple students.
"I'm worried for my son. He has to attend Ben Franklin School next fall."Noel Voight, Fargo
A Ben Franklin Middle School parent, who has chosen to remain anonymous, first informed Principal Shane Martin of the practice in September. However, reports of the duct taping did not end. The same parent received a photo of their child with a mask duct taped to the child’s face on Oct. 26. At which point, after getting no response from Principal Martin, the parent then contacted Superintendent Gandhi, members of the FPS School board, and Let Parents Decide That in a mass email. Martin was unwilling to discuss the issue over the phone but referred all contact to the FPS Communications Director AnneMarie Campbell. Campbell stated, “Ben Franklin School investigated the incident and is working with staff to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.”
The Voight family tried homeschooling, but they say they believe support services from the public school system are necessary for their special needs children’s development. However, Voight stated, “The masks are not helping our children. School staff and educators are not supposed to be making medical decisions for my children.”
"The masks are not helping our children. School staff and educators are not supposed to be making medical decisions for my children."Voight
As part of the protest, participants held signs saying, “Let Parents Decide That,” “Medical Freedom for Kids,” and “Masks Require Parental Consent.” Schmidt encouraged parents everywhere to “get involved, to start talking to each other, and end the silence over forced masking of children.”
FPS School Board member Jennifer Benson attended the protest as well. “Events like this and all of the parents that contact me thanking me are what keep me going,” said Benson. “This is my purpose, standing up for our kids.”
