North Penn Teacher Tapes Mask To Student's Face
LANSDALE, PA — A photo that was circulated on social media showing a North Penn teacher taping a mask to a student's face has caused controversy in this Montgomery County school district and beyond.
North Penn Stronger Together, which was a group comprising the Republican candidates for school board in the November 2021 race, had posted a photo to its Facebook page on Monday purporting to show a teacher using tape to secure a mask to a young student's face.
The post states that the photo depicts a Pennfield Middle School co-teacher taping the mask on the child. The group asked the community to contact the district and ask it to address the incident.
The North Penn School District subsequently issued a statement that said the image circulating on social media "does not represent the universal values that the North Penn School District strives to instill in both our students and staff. After an immediate investigation, it was determined that while the incident was isolated and no malice was intendent, the actions of the teacher were entirely inappropriate and unacceptable, no matter the context."
The district acknowledged that the act of taping a mask to a young student's face is "concerning to many," and it apologized for the actions of the employee.
"The matter is serious and it is being addressed with the employee," the district stated. "However, all personnel and student matters are confidential and no further information can be provided."
Following the posting of the photo, North Penn Stronger Together put up another post stating that it is "NOT" a political organization and was no longer tied with any political race or candidates.
"NPST has become a sounding board for concerned parents," the group posted. "It IS a place where parents can advocate who want to see accountability in the district."
The group further stated that it had been given permission to post the photo, although it also said the parents and child who were depicted were "not okay with that action, and were not happy with the administration's handling of the incident."
"We recently made a call for action, and while we respect the the [sic] privacy of personnel issues, we are PARENTS NOT POLITICIANS seeking some kind of leadership that gives us confidence that that faceless child won't be one of ours," the group wrote. "This was an opportunity to bridge a gap."
The photo of the mask taping went viral and was even mentioned in national media.
Fox News host Sean Hannity posted an article this week that referred to the actions in the photo as "Masking Madness."
The North Penn School Board was scheduled to hold its monthly meeting Thursday. It was unclear whether the issue would be addressed during the gathering.
Masking of students has been one of the more controversial mitigation measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The issue has pitted public health advocates who say masking helps curb virus transmission with those who feel it is an encroachment on individual freedom.
This article originally appeared on the Montgomeryville-Lansdale Patch
