School Board Meeting Over Mask Mandate Gets Physical

CHASKA, Minn. (AP) — Tensions at a suburban Twin Cities school board meeting over a new mask mandate escalated to a physical scuffle.

The Eastern Carver County Schools announced Monday that all students would need to wear a mask through at least the middle of next month because of a rise in coronavirus cases.

At a meeting Monday night in Carver, speakers lined up to talk about their support or opposition to the mandate. A couple of men got physical over what appeared to be a disagreement about someone taking a photo. Several other men intervened to separate the two and police were summoned, video from WCCO-TV showed.

Some parents say the mask mandate is causing bullying concerns on both sides of the issue. Many parents say they want some sort of protocol about what they should do if their child is exposed and if there is a required quarantine period.

The Minnesota Department of Health has been tracking a spike in COVID-19 cases in schools since students began returning several weeks ago. The hundreds of cases a week have forced some districts to make changes, including switching to distance learning.

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