Deer Creek school board urging state to amend law on masks

Edmond, Okla. — The Deer Creek School Board is urging Governor Stitt and the state legislature to amend Senate Bill 658, the law that bans districts from requiring masks.

The board voted unanimously to pass the resolution, but some parents inside voiced their frustration afterwards.

The resolution lists some of the numbers showing the recent increase in COVID-19 cases.

It points out that the state health department is recommending things like masks, distancing and handwashing.

The resolution says SB 658 limits their ability to create policies they might need and that go along with state and federal health guidance.

Board member Danny Barnes, also a doctor, wrote the resolution and said he felt he needed to do something and that he's committed to following the science.

“The science is still true, whether you believe in it or not," Barnes said before the vote. "I just have to ask everybody a question in the room and everybody who’s watching. How much longer are we going to allow our children to be collateral damage to the actions and inactions of adults?”

There was no specific chance to the school's policy.

As of last week, Deer Creek reported 22 students tested positive for COVID-19.

Many have weighed in on the issue of mask requirements in schools.

The state's attorney general, John O'Connor, has said he will move to block mask mandates in schools if they break the law.

The U.S. Department of Education says it will fight for the right of Oklahoma schools to require masks.