Fourth-grader wouldn’t wear mask in class, Louisiana school says. Now he’s suspended
A Louisiana fourth-grader was given a three-day suspension this week for refusing to following his school’s face mask policy.
The University Lab School, located on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, sent the boy home Tuesday, Jan. 4, after administrators said he refused to wear a mask in class, WBRZ reported. It was the first day of classes after the holiday break, and officials said parents were made aware of campus COVID-19 policies for the semester.
“A student refusing to follow the mask mandate is a health concern and a disruption in the classroom,” an LSU spokesperson told McClatchy News in a statement. “And therefore, they are not allowed to stay on campus.”
Lab School Director Kevin George notified the boy’s parents of the suspension via email, according to WAFB, reminding them they had previously been told that their son couldn’t be on campus if he didn’t obey the mask rules.
Per LSU’s COVID-19 protocols, face masks are “required indoors ... at campus events and on campus buses” to prevent spread of the virus. A vaccine mandate also remains in place — with a testing protocol for those who aren’t vaccinated — as the omicron coronavirus variant drives a surge in new cases in Louisiana and across much of the U.S.
The boy’s father, Kyle Robichaux, told WAFB that he supports his son’s decision. He called the university’s policy ”buffoonish” and referenced the nearly 12,000 maskless fans who were allowed to gather inside a campus arena to watch LSU’s basketball team Tuesday night.
“At this point, everyone knows that his mask mandate is farce,” Robichaux said, according to the news station. “I am not going to teach my children to obey policies that lack rational thought.”
LSU officials said the face mask policy doesn’t extend to sporting events, WBRZ reported, and added that LSU Athletics has complied with statewide mandates. A memo posted to the department’s website in October states that masks are “encouraged, not required” for fans who gather at the assembly center for basketball games.
Robichaux told WBRZ he doesn’t plan to pull his son from the University Lab School, but added that he wants to see an end to policies “that don’t make sense.”
“That’s when things are going to change and we’ll get back to normal life,” he told the news station.
This story was originally published January 6, 2022 at 8:03 AM with the headline "Fourth-grader wouldn’t wear mask in class, Louisiana school says. Now he’s suspended."