![]() Natalie Poulson, a special education specialist at the northwest Spokane school, told KXLY on Tuesday she was one of the staffers who was escorted off school property by district personnel at about 10:30 a.m. He said educators cannot see the facial expressions of their students, thus losing an important connection to their learning and called on the district to discuss the benefits versus the risks of requiring masks in schools. He noted that many children are not wearing masks properly are touching them without sanitized hands and in some cases are chewing on them. The peaceful protest, O’Doherty wrote, was undertaken out of his concern that mask wearing is having a negative effect on the education, social and emotional well-being of children. He issued an apology Wednesday: “I am truly sorry if my actions on Tuesday resulted in confusion or anger for anyone, especially after Finch Elementary was thrust into the media.” Although we respect the varying opinions that exist regarding masks, we are required to follow the mandate and have taken the appropriate steps to ensure the situation is addressed.”Īmong those escorted from the school was principal Shane O’Doherty. The letter continued: “SPS’s district staff quickly addressed this situation, with limited impact to classroom and the school environment. The letter went on to state that “several staff members, including the school principal, chose not to adhere to the requirement and refused to wear a mask.” In a letter sent to families Tuesday afternoon, the district pointed out that “as per the Governor’s mandate, all SPS staff and students are required to wear face coverings in school.” “We are not commenting on personnel matters, as there is currently an active HR investigation regarding the incident at Finch Elementary School,” district communications director Sandra Jarrard told The Spokesman-Review in an email Wednesday. On Wednesday, the district refused to identify which other staff members were affected, their positions and what their employment status will be when school resumes on Monday. Jay Inslee’s mandate and were escorted out of the school. Officials at Spokane Public Schools are investigating an incident in which several staff members at Finch Elementary School, including the principal, refused to wear masks as required under Gov. ![]()
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