Rally to show support for anti-mask principal held at Queen of Martyrs school in Evergreen Park
As COVID-19 mask battles continue, at least one Chicago-area school is going remote to avoid protests
Student walkouts have been increasing since a central Illinois judge issued a temporary restraining order against Gov. JB Pritzker's school coronavirus mask mandate. Now some districts are taking steps to avoid in-school confrontations by switching to remote learning. Dane Placko reports.
EVERGREEN PARK, Illinois - Parents and kids rallied in Evergreen Park on Sunday to get Queen of Martyrs principal Jacob "Doc" Mathius reinstated after he told families that masks were optional.
The Archdiocese of Chicago placed Mathius on administrative leave one day after the letter was distributed.
Holding signs that read things like "Bring Back Doc," "Doc is a Hero" and "No More Masks," children and adults braved the bitterly cold day outside the school to wave flags and wave when drivers honked.
Evergreen Park Catholic school principal on leave for making masks optional, parents say
The principal of an Evergreen Park Catholic school was put on administrative leave one day after sending a letter to school families notifying them of his decision to let the school go mask-optional, parents from the school said.
In his letter, Mathius said: "I have reached this determination as I perceive….as I have for some time now…that the social-emotional toll that continuing COVID protocols have taken on many of our students have become more toxic than the COVID virus itself."
Since the controversy started, the Archdiocese has decided to make masks optional.