Series of incidents reflects national pattern of rising frustration
Justin Murphy – Rochester Democrat and Chronicle USA TODAY NETWORK – in the D&C on 6/12/21 on page A3
Community members protesting mask requirements and anti-racist curriculum have disrupted school board meetings in several Monroe County districts in the last month, including an incident Tuesday in Penfield where the meeting room had to be cleared.
The series of incidents reflects a national pattern of rising frustration among some parents at schools’ halting return to non-pandemic conditions as well as a move to implement, at least in theory, anti-racist principles.
In the Penfield incident, several speakers in the public forum had railed against the district’s continuing insistence on mask-wearing and also its use of anti-racist curriculum.
In that instance a parent, Rich Tyson, said he noticed school board member William Yaeger mimicking a speaker. He yelled to him from the audience, telling him to stop being disrespectful.