Arizona school board imposes gag rule for vaccines, masks

August 19, 2021

BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. (AP) — Employees in a northwestern Arizona school district cannot discuss vaccination status or mask-wearing with students under a motion approved unanimously by the local school board.

The edict from the Colorado River Union High School District Governing Board carries no repercussions for administrators, staff, and teachers who violate it. That would be up to Superintendent Monte Silk, who supported the motion.

School districts across Arizona have taken varied approaches to mask mandates, with some defying state law to impose them and offering opt-out options. The Colorado River Union High School District’s gag rule is rare.

Board member Ashley Gerich, who calls herself a “non-vaxxer” requested the item be put on the board’s agenda this week. She said a couple of students, including her daughter, told her conversations about the vaccine made them feel uncomfortable, the Mohave Daily News reported.

-snip-

Board prohibits discussion of vaccination status, masks

Daily News staff
Aug 19, 2021 1:55 AM

BULLHEAD CITY — The Colorado River Union High School District Governing Board decided Tuesday that discussions about vaccination status and wearing of masks belong at home and not in the classroom.

“My view is that that this is for the parents to decide, not for our employees of any type,” said Board President Richard Cardone, a local surgeon, in opening a lively 20-minute discussion.

The motion, approved unanimously, prohibits all district employees — administrators, teachers and staff — from discussing vaccination status with their students and orders all employees not to “encourage or discourage vaccines or masks with any students.”

-snip-

The agenda item was created at the request of Board Member Ashley Gerich, who first said that a couple of students had notified her of conversations about vaccinations that made them feel uncomfortable. She later said one of the students was her daughter.

“It's not a teacher's place to send my child home questioning their own beliefs or our family values, our family beliefs,” said Gerich, who called herself “a non-vaxxer.”

-snip-