VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A group of mothers were forcibly removed from Tuesday's Volusia County School board meeting after being trespassed for refusing to wear masks inside the building. 

What You Need To Know

  • Seven women were trespassed from the Volusia County School Board meeting

  • The women were removed because they refused to wear masks, as required, during the meeting

  • They said they didn't believe in masks and wearing one to speak at the meeting would by hypocritical

After delaying the meeting over an hour and half, the mothers were escorted out individually by Deland Police officers. During the meeting, school board officials voted to make the district's mask policy permenent. 

School board members and attorneys asked the mothers many times to put a mask on, as required by district policy.

“We are out here to send the message that the state, the government, the county, the city and the school district does not own our children," said Rachael Cohen, one of the mothers who was removed from the meeting. "That we as parents and as families have the full right to say what happens with our children, especially in regards to their medical needs. Covering your face with a mask is experimental.”

The mothers argued that by putting a mask on to be allowed to speak at this meeting, they would be hypocrites. They said it goes against what they are fighting for for their children

“What is the long term health implications of a child wearing a mask from the morning until the afternoon?" asked Cohen. "It is not OK, it needs to be an option. If children come from families that want them to be masked, everyone has that right. We are not asking to take that right away, we are asking for the right to medical choice.”​

According to DeLand police, seven mothers were trespassed from the meeting but none of them were arrested.