Parents march for less restrictive start to school year

BRUNSWICK — About 25 Medina County residents opposing Ohio's guidelines for reopening K-12 schools this fall demonstrated Saturday on the north side of Center Road, just west of Interstate 71. Demonstrators said the proposed state plan, which calls for students to wear masks and socially distance from each other to protect them from COVID-19, and asks school districts to provide home learning options whenever possible, are unnecessary and too restrictive. "I would rather have it locally controlled," Jo Ann Campbell of Medina said of the state guidelines. "A lot of what they are requiring is not supported by the data." The demonstration in Brunswick was one of more than 15 organized Saturday across the state by Free Ohio Now, a political organization that supports limited government. The group believes that although precautionary measures initially taken to protect people from COVID-19 might have been warranted, it's time to send children back to school as normal in the fall. In a news release, Tom Hach, core team member of Free Ohio Now, said the state's proposed guidelines are not sound academic policies. "Staggering partial in-classroom schedules with distance learning cannot be effectively implemented by most districts, will not complement families with working parents and will hurt single parents the most," Hach said. Hach added that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the U.S. Surgeon General have all stated wearing masks "is not effective in preventing a virus which has already infected so many." In making that statement, Hach cited a March 2 article in MarketWatch, but since that article was published, the CDC has reversed course and now recommends citizens wear cloth face coverings to guard themselves and others from COVID-19. The federal health department and surgeon general on their websites now refer to CDC recommendations regarding masks. Meghan Athey, who organized Saturday's demonstration, said that according to the state's own statistics, no one under the age of 50 has died from COVID-19 in Medina County. She said of the 24 people who died from COVID-19 in the county, 14 were 80 and older, six were between 70-79, two were between 60-69 and two were between 50-59. Athey's statistics are not updated for today as state health officials reported Sunday that there are now 30 deaths linked to COVID-19 in Medina County. "I have more of a risk of sending my kids to school during flu season and there's a vaccine for that," said Athey, who will have two children in school and one in preschool this fall. Athey said parents can trust teachers and school administrators to protect their children by requiring frequent hand washing and sanitizing surfaces. "I am not saying it should be a free-for-all," Athey said. "But we should be able to handle it without wearing masks." On Saturday, demonstrators carried signs saying, "Free Ohio Schools," "Kids Need Full Day School" and "My Kids' (and My) Mental Health Matters: No Hybrid School, No Restrictions." "Kids have got to go to school and run and jump and play and be kids," said demonstrator Mary Jane Ferris of Strongsville. Ferris said it's the job of parents, not government, to teach their children proper hygiene like hand washing and covering their mouths when they cough or sneeze. "This has gotten to be more than a virus and a pandemic," Ferris said. "It's become political, and the kids are the ones who are suffering." Melissa Dawson of Brunswick said the state guidelines that most concerned her were home schooling, restrictions on social interaction and the wearing of face masks and social distancing. "My daughter will go to third grade in the fall," Dawson said. "We want her to have a healthy, proper education for the school year." Contact reporter Bob Sandrick at areanews@medina-gazette.com.