Breaking: Rockwood Parents and Students Defying Mask Mandate

Report: Two students in in-school suspension

LaSalle Springs Middle School in the Rockwood School District is punishing students for obeying the law.

Yesterday we reported that Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt sent a letter to all Missouri school districts warning them that a recent court order nullified most mask mandates. According to the AG, that order applies to schools as well as counties and municipalities throughout Missouri.

Missouri Attorney General Warns Rockwood School District to Stop Unconstitutional and Illegal Mask Orders

Failure to follow the court’s judgment may result in enforcement action against you to remove orders the court has determined are unconstitutional and illegal. We encourage you to take immediate action to remove all unconstitutional and illegal orders.

—Attorney General’s Letter to School Districts

We contacted Rockwood School district to see if they intended to obey or defy the court order. Last night, Rockwood’s communications director responded that, on the advice of their attorneys, Rockwood intends to continue to defy the court order by enforcing its illegal mask mandate:

[D]istrict spokeswoman Mary Lapak said, “there will be no change to our mitigation strategies.”

Today, some Rockwood families decided to follow the advice of the Attorney General and the courts in defiance of Rockwood’s rogue mask policy.

I received a text message from a Rockwood parent today:

[Stuff’s] going down. Many Rockwood parents sent kids to schools w no masks. La salle I heard put some kids in in school suspension.

The source later confirmed at least two LaSalle Springs Middle School students received in-school suspensions for obeying the court by showing up to school without masks and, possibly, by getting within six feet of other people. There’s a good chance the students didn’t sanitize their hands every 60 seconds, too, but we can’t be sure.

Rockwood has, by defying the courts and the AG, taught its students that they do not have to obey authority. If Rockwood can ignore the court order, students can ignore Rockwood. It should come as no surprise that parents and students would mimic Rockwood’s example.

Sources tell me the families involved are weighing legal action against school personnel, administration, and the Rockwood School District for punishing their children by obeying state statutory and case law.

This is a developing story.