Virginia mom blasts sons’ ‘political’ suspensions for not wearing masks

SPRINGFIELD, VA — Stephanie Lundquist-Arora, a mom of three, accused Fairfax County Public Colleges (FCPS) of taking part in politics after her sons have been suspended on gown code violations for not carrying face masks to high school.

Lundquist-Arora’s sons have been amongst 24 FCPS college students suspended Jan. 25 for failing to put on masks.  

“The masks had given them complications,” Lundquist-Arora instructed Fox Information Digital. “They didn’t like carrying them. So that they discovered them problematic.”

Her two youthful boys have been suspended for 15 days from Hunt Valley Elementary College, however she mentioned she has “not heard again but” from the principal about her enchantment requests. She appealed her older son’s suspension in an electronic mail to Irving Center College Principal Cynthia Conley, arguing it was inaccurate, deceptive, and flew within the face of rights of privateness and political freedom. She was adamant that the varsity’s motion was additionally in violation of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s, R., Government Order 2, which requires Virginia colleges to permit dad and mom to choose their youngsters out of the masks mandates nonetheless in place in some Virginia colleges.    

Lundquist-Arora argued that based mostly on the state regulation, he was totally inside his proper to be maskless and that native gown code mandates don’t supersede state regulation. 

Her enchantment was denied final week, with the principal writing within the faculty’s resolution that, “because of his refusal to put on a face masks, the gown code violation was recorded and a consequence was given.”

Lundquist-Arora expanded on why she noticed the transfer as political in an interview with Fox Information Digital.   

“I additionally suppose that my sons are being punished for political causes,” she mentioned. “We had the audacity to truly train our rights underneath the governor’s order. They usually’ve by no means objected so fervently to something that Gov. Northam has completed up to now. There was by no means a difficulty the place Gov. Northam would move an government order and the varsity board would say, ‘Oh we’re not listening to that, and we’re going to move a coverage to avoid that.’ So I believe that that is undoubtedly political.”  

The parent-activist mentioned she had recognized a touch of irony in her son’s punishment.

“Mockingly, truly, once I got here to select up my son, at one level I believe within the counselor’s workplace or wherever they held him, there’s an indication that claims, college students who, in an effort to keep on the right track for commencement, college students mustn’t miss greater than 9 days within the faculty 12 months,” she mentioned. “And I assumed that was significantly ironic on condition that they simply willfully suspended him for 9 days over a chunk of material over his face, or not having one.”

Lundquist-Arora nervous her son’s suspensions can be an “obstacle to furthering his educational pursuits.” Her older son’s 9-day suspension, she famous, makes it seem as if he’s an offender on par with drug sellers or worse. In actuality, she mentioned, “he’s a conscientious, straight-A scholar who has by no means been in hassle apart from for these politically-charged ‘gown code’ violations.”

As for subsequent steps, Lundquist-Arora mentioned she’s going to “pursue authorized avenues to struggle” and goes to enchantment to the state board of training. 

“I’m hoping that on the finish of the day, justice will prevail and these will probably be erased,” she mentioned. “That’s all I can do is hope and struggle it. That is fully ridiculous.”

Irving Center College and Fairfax County Public Colleges didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

The mother has fought in opposition to different measures in latest months, together with a brand new rule which might droop or expel college students for “maliciously misgendering” their friends. The Fairfax County faculty board voted 8-4 to move the coverage in June. 

“I believe it’s inappropriate, fully, for the varsity to be concerned in one thing to this point outdoors of basic training for youngsters,” Lundquist-Arora instructed Fox Information Digital.

“It’s clearly an activist board we’ve got. It’s mainly a totalitarian regime. They prefer to ban every part they’re in opposition to, and mandate every part they’re for,” she mentioned.  

However she credited the parental rebellion with having made at the very least a small influence. Had they not spoken out, the mom believes the vote “would have been unanimous.”  

Once more, Lundquist-Arora mentioned she and her fellow dad and mom had plans to struggle.

“Our subsequent steps are to encourage dad and mom and college students who disagree with the doc to not signal it at first of the educational 12 months,” she mentioned. “We additional will name for a repeal of all language within the doc that compels speech and violates the First Modification.”