A group of protesters rallied outside the UTLA teachers union building in Koreatown Tuesday demanding the LAUSD follow state guidelines and allow students the option to go mask free indoors.
A “corrupt, vicious, anti-child campaign,” is how parent Mehrsima Moussavian described the mask mandate prior to Tuesday’s rally on Wilshire Boulevard.
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho recently tweeted on the matter, saying that he is ready to lift the mandate.
So why are students still required to wear masks?
Carvalho says it’s because the School District needs to reach an agreement with the teachers union before any changes can be made.
“I strongly support amending Los Angeles Unified’s previously negotiated agreements to align with current health guidance released by the State of California and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health,” a portion of Carvalho’s tweet read.
The superintendent said his team worked with labor partners over the weekend on changes to masking rules in schools and is now waiting on the union to make the next move.
That move could come in the form of a counter proposal, which may be reached during a scheduled UTLA meeting Wednesday.
Regardless of how the LAUSD mask mandate is settled, some health experts say we are still in a vulnerable time and wearing face coverings in school can be useful.
“It’s best to use these kinds of tools, like masking, to be able to prevent increases in cases, children from getting this virus and from spreading it to others,” UCLA Department of Epidemiology Professor Dr. Anne Rimoin said.