Documentation questions DCS' administration's commitment to masking
Polly Leonard addresses the Davidson County Commissioners at their meeting on Tuesday, October 12.
{Kassaundra Shanette Lockhart/Davidson Local}
Davidson Local has obtained copies of documents that were given to Davidson County Commissioners at their bi-monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 12.
During the public address, Polly Leonard presented each commissioner with documentation that she says supports her stance urging commissioners to withhold funding from Davidson County Schools (DCS) due to their mask mandate. Documents included:
a snippet of Davidson Local’s article on September 8 where it was noted that Chairman Alan Beck read a statement informing attendees they were required to wear proper face coverings at the meetings
photos that allegedly show Beck, board member Ashley Carroll and DCS Superintendent Dr. Emily Lipe either wearing masks under their noses or unmasked in a closed session meeting
Lipe’s statement to Davidson Local: “Thank you for reaching out and asking for a response to the photograph you received. This picture was taken during the closed session portion of our meeting in which time the microphones are off. In order for board members to hear each other and to hear the superintendent, sometimes masks are taken off when speaking and then put back on when finished. Additionally, it is not uncommon for all to take a brief periodic mask break which is not only permissible under existing policy but expected.”
Carroll’s statement to Davidson Local: “I would also like to add that we take water breaks. As you can see from the picture, the water bottle is located right in front of me. While I didn’t fully remove my mask to do so, I do pull it down from my nose area.”
Davidson Local has also reached out to Beck for comment. If we acquire a statement from him, this article will be updated to include it.
a letter from Attorney Matthew P. Ceradini addressed to 'North Carolina County School Boards members and superintendents. The three lines of the letter state “My firm is contacting you on behalf of North Carolina Citizens for Constitutional Rights, LLC (“NCC4CR”), a North Carolina limited liability company organized to defend the Constitutional Rights of North Carolina citizens. NCC4CR, its members and supporters, and other members of the public who have contacted me are all gravely concerned about the conduct of the County School Boards (the "School Boards") with respect to their adoption of the COVID-19 control measures outlined in North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (“NCDHHS”) StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit (K-12) (the “Toolkit”). After appraising the legal status of the Toolkit and its control measures, it is clear that the School Boards do not have the authority to implement these measures without a formal order from NCDHHS or a local health department.”
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to Davidson Local for more information.
