Refusal to mask leads to abrupt cancellation and rescheduling of Peoria Public Schools board meeting

PEORIA (25 NEWS) - Parents and teachers who wanted to talk about the school mask requirement were shut out as the Peoria Public Schools board meeting was abruptly canceled and rescheduled.

“We do have other business we do need to attend to, so if you can’t put on a mask I’m going to ask you again to please leave,” said school board president, Gregory Wilson.

More than a dozen parents and teachers went to the PPS board meeting to express their feelings on masking.

“I feel like everyone should have an option and choice,” said Charter Oak Primary teacher, Kahlia Metz.

Although, the meeting was over before Metz had a chance to speak.

“This is crap. You guys copped a check for this. These are our children, our children,” said one woman at the meeting.

The meeting was rescheduled because a group of people refused to wear masks.

“I have a medical excuse,” said one man at the meeting.

They also asked the board to provide the law that says they need to wear masks in the building.

“Executive order 21-22 is still in place requiring masks for indoor public place in the state of Illinois,” board attorney, Frazier Satterly, replied.

Now, Metz and other people at the meeting say they are ready to sue over the district mask mandate.

“Which we don’t want to go into because again that’s tax money that’s going now into a lawsuit that could be going into our buildings and helping our students,” said Metz.

Peoria Public Schools says it will continue requiring masks until, “such time as our public health partners advise us that restrictions can be safely lifted.”

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