Teacher who refuses to wear mask can’t enter school — but isn’t fired, Oregon board says
An Oregon fourth-grade teacher who’s taught for 23 years faced termination for refusing to wear a face mask at school, a local school board says.
But Tori Caudell — a Terrebonne Community School teacher — will keep her job after the Redmond School Board voted 3-2 on Wednesday, KTVZ reported.
Her termination recommendation was suggested by Redmond School District Superintendent Charan Cline following her refusal to wear a mask on school grounds, the TV news station reported.
Although the teacher will remain at the school district, she is not allowed in any buildings without a face mask on, Redmond School District spokesperson Sheila Miller told McClatchy News.
Caudell told the members at the meeting she didn’t break a law by not wearing a face mask and the mandate went against her “constitutional rights,” Central Oregon Daily News reported.
However, Cline pointed to the Oregon statewide mandate that requires mask wearing for all students and staff at K-12 schools, the news outlet reported.
“We can not pick and choose which laws to follow based on our individual, political, or religious opinions, nor can we allow our staff to do so, nor can we allow our staff to simply disregard a law if they believe it’s unconstitutional or otherwise illegal,” OPB reported Cline saying.
Caudell said the mask mandate for children was child abuse, according to OPB. She also cited an Oregon law that prohibits the use of certain restraints on children, adding that masks “made her lightheaded and foggy,” OPB reported.
“They deserve better from all of us,” KTVZ reported Caudell saying. “We are here to protect them and advocate for them. I’m honest and I always have been. My honesty comes to my detriment. Ask any of my friends, family, or principal. I speak my truth every day.”
District officials will now work out alternative positions for the teacher, OPB reported.
“A failure to comply with these mandates would put our ability to educate the nearly 7,000 students in our district at risk,” Miller told McClatchy News. “The Redmond School District is eager to get back to the business of what we do best, which is educating kids and preparing them for their future.
“This is another distraction that prevents that from being our main focus.”
Terrebonne is located about 23 miles north of Bend.
This story was originally published September 23, 2021 at 12:06 PM with the headline "Teacher who refuses to wear mask can’t enter school — but isn’t fired, Oregon board says."
