JACKSONVILLE- The Onslow County Democratic Party voices our disagreement with the Onslow County Board of Education’s decision against a mask mandate for Onslow County Schools.

Any responsible person would be able to look at the facts that the pandemic is not over, and the number of infections are rising in Onslow County. The Delta Variant is more contagious and has been making younger people and children severely ill. While the availability of the COVID vaccine has been helping in the battle against COVID, children ages eleven and younger are not yet eligible for vaccination. Now that the Onslow County Board of Education is opting to send our children back to school without COVID precautions, it is a severe dereliction of their duty to keep the children entrusted in their care safe.

A good question to ask is, who will face accountability for the decisions that our school board is making? Can board members be held personally liable for the illness and potential death to come? Their reckless disregard for the lives of others is a clear indication of a lack of empathy. And now they have set their sights on the lives of our children, and school staff in their reckless disregard for human life. We are entrusting our children to our local Board of Education and we expect better.

The Board should take action with a simple mask mandate which will not only protect the health of students and staff but potentially save the lives of children, our teachers and possibly another school board member. It is in your Board of Education’s hands.

We hope that the people of Onslow County will remember this day when they are making decisions regarding the next election and representation on their Board of Education.

Ike Johnson, Chairperson

Marcy Wofford, First Vice-Chairperson

Lauren Saikkonen