California boy removed from school campus over refusal to wear mask
A 4-year-old boy was removed from school after he refused to wear a following the school district's mask policy, which has since been relaxed.
The father of a 4-year-old California boy in transitional kindergarten said school officials called the police Thursday to boot his son from class over his refusal to adhere to a district mask policy.
The father, who is named Shawn and requested Fox News Digital not to use his last name, said he opposes the Mountain View Whisman School District mandate. The child, who is not being named, was in class Friday after the district relaxed the policy during a Thursday meeting.
"He basically looked like a PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) victim," Shawn told Fox News Digital about his son, who started transitional kindergarten last week in the San Francisco suburb. "He was inconsolable for about two hours."
The confrontation occurred Thursday when Shawn took his son to school and recorded a video of the unmasked boy on campus. The footage shows Theuerkauf Elementary School Principal Michelle Williams trying to explain why the boy must be removed from campus.
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A California 4-year-old boy was booted from class Thursday over his refusal to wear a mask, a requirement by the district, which has since relaxed the policy. (Courtesy of Tracy Henderson)
"I want him here, but it is our district's policy that students have to wear a mask," she is heard saying. "He is a lovely child. We are here to support and serve him."
The boy is seen running past her to class before being escorted out.
"I cannot keep spending time on this same issue… I’m going to have you removed from campus if you don’t leave at this time," Williams says before an officer is called.
In another clip, a school resource officer who is sympathetic to Shawn's concerns speaks with him but remains firm. After the discussion, Shawn said he left with his son.
The incident occurred as Shawn and other parents opposed to the district mask policy fight to have it reversed.
On Tuesday, Shawn's attorney, Tracy Henderson sent Williams a cease and desist letter, saying the boy has been subjected to bullying, discrimination and harassment by district employees over the mask policy.
"It is time to let parents decide what is best for their children in relation to COVID," according to the letter Henderson provided to Fox News Digital.
She said the boy begged not to wear a mask and was turned away at school during the first days of the school year last week. Fox News has reached out to the district.
On Thursday, the school board held a meeting where they discussed and relaxed the mask policy. Beginning Friday, the district would be moving toward a "masks optional" policy for students," Superintendent Ayinde Rudolph said during the meeting.
In a statement sent to Fox News, Rudolph said he understood both sides of the mask issue but said filming the encounter went too far.
"It’s very unfortunate that this parent chose to video record one of our principals after she repeatedly asked him not to," Rudolph said. "This parent worked with an advocacy group outside Mountain View to create a professional video in order to nationally shame a public servant doing her job while maintaining a safe and orderly school."
Many students and their parents were unmasked Friday, Shawn said.
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"We're trying to have our son go through a regular school experience," he said. "I was backed into a wall and the fight came to me. There are a few lunatics that just don't want to give this up. They're afraid of air."
"You go to Southern California, everyone is living life normally there," he continued. "You go to Northern California, everybody is living normally. This is the one area where they just do not want to give it up."
Fox News' Jordan Early contributed to this report.
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