LACEY – A Donald Trump Halloween mask does not count as a COVID-19 protective mask. That is what a parent was told by a district official moments before another Board of Education meeting was cancelled.
In what has been an all too familiar scenario at live Board of Education meetings in the township, the most recent attempt to hold a live session at its usual setting in the high school was abruptly dismissed. Board of Education President Frank Palino once again called for the session to move to a virtual format as a number of parents refused to leave the lecture hall or don a COVID-19 mask.
Governor Phil Murphy’s executive order requiring masks is set to end March 7. This announcement was made prior to this meeting, but a group of parents still showed up without masks in protest.
District officials had a heated conversation with parents outside before the meeting.
The confrontation shown in a video on the Facebook page Jackson Township Fresh Faced Schools has a parent stating, “everyone is going on in so I guess if they want to arrest everybody, they’ll have to arrest everyone. No one actually knows what my name is because I switch it up so many times and I think I’ll leave it that way. This is how it is done guys, in mass and groups,” she said.
The residents did not identify themselves when they were met at the lecture hall door by Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction William Zylinski. He said, “you need to put the masks on. The meeting will last about three seconds if you don’t have your masks on.”
“I have a mask on,” a woman wearing the Donald Trump mask replied. Zylinski repeated his statement.
“You are segregating us right now,” another woman added.
“This is by order of the governor of New Jersey,” Zylinski said.
Around this time, Board President Frank Palino and the Board Attorney Bruce Padula came out from inside the lecture hall. It was noted by the residents how attendees at Jackson Board of Education meetings were seen not wearing masks. They suggested that the Jackson Board was not enforcing the mandate.
“How do the other Board of Education members do it?” the parents asked.
“That is not for me to say at all,” Zylinski replied. “Technically, you can’t be in the building without a mask on.”
“We have about eight or nine kids coming tonight to get their awards with their parents and you are being selfish and you are just ruining everything for the kids,” Palino said.
“You are ruining everything for the kids too,” a resident responded.
“I know everyone is frustrated. I don’t want to be wearing a mask. It is the law that we have to,” Padula said.
The debate escalated as the two parents replied, “it is not the law.”
“Stop interrupting me and let me finish,” Padula yelled back. “The governor has the legal right by the legislature to enact this executive order that we have to follow. There was a woman arrested and put in handcuffs at the Cranford Board of Education meeting.”
Palino explained, “we’re going to open the doors and we are going to allow you in but you have to put a mask on. I can identify some of you here and I will press charges against you if you don’t.”
“Guys we have two more weeks,” the attorney remarked.
“If you don’t abide by it, we’ll adjourn the meeting and you will be charged, so come on in folks,” Palino said.
Within minutes, the same crowd that had entered the room were then exiting it.
One attendee did wear a mask but it was cut open around the mouth. “It is just as good as the ones they are wearing,” he said about the masks that the Board members and professional staff had on.
Padula said, “everyone knows that there is an executive order to wear a mask. That ends March 7, so Friday March 4 is the last day to wear masks. Two weeks and one day from now. I ask you to please put your mask on. It is the law of the land and everyone screamed at me outside that it is not the law. It is the law. Every school district, over 600 in this state are required to wear them,” the attorney said.
Audience members said school districts in Deptford and Evesham townships were allowing audience members to go maskless during Board of Education meetings.
The attorney replied saying he disagreed and audience members called him “a brown shirt.”
Padula explained that the meeting would adjourn the session and, in an hour, reconvene virtually as a hybrid meeting. He pleaded once more, “can you put a mask on or just leave?”
With no change from the audience, Palino adjourned the meeting.
This was not the first time this happened. The first meeting of the new year had to be rescheduled to a virtual format. During that session, new board member Salvatore Armato, members of his family and other audience members refused to wear a mask and he and Harold “Skip” Peters were unable to be sworn in to office. Palino filed charges against Armato, his family and those in the audience he recognized for being disruptive and trespassing at the meeting.
An online petition at change.org to remove Palino was launched by resident Kristin Neil. That petition has nearly 600 signatures as of February 21.
Later in January, a second live session held at the Lacey Middle School lasted around five minutes as more than half of those in attendance did not wear masks in protest to the Governor’s executive order. Armato also refused to wear a mask during that meeting.
Days later, the first hybrid meeting was held at the same location with those agreeing to wear masks among the board and audience attending while those who would not wear a mask attended virtually.
