CHESHIRE, Conn. — A Cheshire School Board Meeting became heated Thursday night, prompting board members to stop the meeting and clear the room.
Parents were at the meeting and spoke out about masks in schools.
"Hey, I’ve listened for two years! I don’t need your (expletive)," yelled one parent.
The parents called some board members cowards during the public comment section about masks in schools as well.
The school board, following the outburst, stopped the meeting, cleared the room, and then carried on.
The school board plans to make masks optional starting on March 1 but some parents in the meeting were worried it won’t last forever.
'What’s going to happen in September? Don’t gaslight me and tell me today 'this is going to be over.' I’m not playing the mask on, mask off, I don’t consider this a win. This is nonsense!" yelled one parent.
Cheshire has met two of three COVID-19 data metrics, vaccination rates and positivity rates, but did not meet the requirement for cases per 100,000 people.
Only two metrics are required in order to lift the mask mandate.
The Superintendent of Cheshire Schools Jeffrey Solan said regardless of the metrics, the town will not put a mask requirement back in place in school unless the state does.
Community members say the mask debate has been a hot topic in town for years, so Thursday night's meeting disruption was not a surprise.
"I think there’s always pros and cons at every meeting so they’re gonna get vocal. We’re going through a difficult time, everybody has extra things on their plate. You have to be calm, that’s all you can do. Fighting is not going to answer anything," said resident Joe DeLucia.
Lindsey Kane is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at Lkane@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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