HOWARD – After some tense and emotional testimony from parents and concerned citizens, the East Knox Board of Education voted Thursday to reaffirm the school district’s existing mask mandate.
The board spent over 30 minutes hearing from three different parents of kids in the school district, as well as a doctor from Knox Community Hospital and a teacher at the high school. Afterward, the board voted 4-1 in favor of a resolution that reiterated that masks must be worn by students, teachers, workers and guests at the schools.
Dozens of concerned parents attended the meeting. Many of them cheered as speakers voiced their displeasure over the existing mask mandate.
Dr. Laura Murnane, a former hospitalist at KCH, spoke at length at the start of the meeting. (Editor's Note: In June, Dr. Murnane received 90 days' notice that her employment with KCH would be ending. The hospital says her views are her own and do not reflect KCH's position.) Murnane made multiple claims that masks hindered the wearer’s oxygen levels, increased wearers' fear and anxiety levels and created multiple dental issues. She did not present any evidence, nor did she cite any studies backing her claims, except to say that “many medical doctors agree.”
Murnane focused on the dangers of carbon dioxide exposure, saying it takes 5,000 parts per million to cause “possible brain damage.” Murnane provided a device which read the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. The room read 890 parts per million of carbon dioxide. After a volunteer wore a mask for two minutes, the meter was placed under her mask and read 1,090, prompting Murnane to say the meter was “not working right.” Later, another volunteer claimed the meter read around 2,700.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 5,000 is the recommended limit at the workplace; it takes 10,000 to cause mild drowsiness, and 30,000 before any symptoms can begin to show.
Three parents then spoke to the board. All three spoke of how their kids no longer enjoy coming to school and that it should be the parents’ choice to mask their kids.
Finally, teacher Chip Pozderac spoke to the board to tell her story of how her father died from COVID symptoms. Pozderac had to stop her speech several times as parents interrupted her with shouts of “take your mask off” and “my child, my choice.”
The board then went to executive session for about 55 minutes before returning. Following votes on routine hires, the board voted to approve the mask mandate.
The mask mandate has been in effect at East Knox schools since Aug. 19, days after beginning the school year.
