An immunocomprompised student was heckled by adults in the room at a school board meeting last week for speaking out in support of mask mandates.
According to Fresno Bee, Buchanan High School senior Rami Zwebti, who identifies as non-binary, was heckled at the Clovis Unified School District board meeting in California after speaking about the legitimacy of mask mandates in schools.
“We sit here arguing about a piece of fabric that weighs 12 grams while millions of families lose their loved ones,” they said. “Set aside your pretentious arrogance and think of those you hold dear. Think about how you would feel if they were suddenly taken from without warning, without mercy. I’m sick of hearing abled individuals complain about masking and vaccines. Your ignorance and privilege speaks volumes.”
As Zwebti returned to their seat, they were booed and yelled at by parents and community members. According to the report, one parent allegedly said, “boy, sit.”
Zwebti left the room in tears because it felt overwhelming to hear the attacks from parents.
Eimear O’Brien, the district’s superintendent call the treatment of Zwebti “disturbing and utterly unacceptable.”
“Members of my administration, along with our onsite police officers, immediately stepped in last night to make sure our student knew that our team was present to protect and support (them). In Clovis Unified, we have always been committed to creating an environment where everyone feels able to share their opinions, to be heard, and to do so without fear of bullying behavior by members of the public attending our meetings,” O’Brien added.
O’Brien said that she has been in touch with the school board President Steven Fogg and asked that he address the meeting protocols to make sure that students feel like it’s safe to attend.
“Dr. Fogg has indicated that he, too, shares my concerns and is reaching out to our student speaker to convey his commitment to the creation of a more respectful environment in the future,” she said.
