On Oct. 20, the Douglas County School District filed a lawsuit against the newly formed Douglas County Board of Health over the mask mandate and quarantine orders. The lawsuit states that the decision by the board, to allow mask exemptions and restrict quarantines in schools, violates the civil rights of students with disabilities.
The voices of many parents have been heard and were backed by testimony from two doctors. One of whom claimed that the highly contagious delta variant of the virus is racing through Colorado. Children between the ages of 6 and 11 are seeing the highest rate of COVID-19 cases and the effects are seen severely through kids with disabilities. In Colorado, 1,026 kids between 0 and 19 were hospitalized, 3.2% of the state’s total hospitalizations.
Jennifer Alexander speaks to KDVR on the risk her daughter has because of her epilepsy, she said, “We’ve been told if she were to contract the COVID virus, particularly the delta variant, that we are looking at a high risk of severe neurological complications.”
As of Nov. 18, 2021 there are 4,717 reported cases, and with the state positivity rate at 10.27%, many are becoming worried. “I’m concerned about the overall health of the students in general. COVID is a big factor as well as the common cold,” said Logan O’Neill, security guard.
Infographic by Kirstie Ko
Children with health conditions such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, epilepsy, diabetes, down syndrome and more, are more vulnerable than others to contract COVID-19. Nine families with children who have disabilities, claim their kids’ civil rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act are being violated by the school board decision.
In an interview with the Denver Post, Dr. Lindsey Fish, an urgent care physician with Denver Health said, “I’ve never worked so hard or been this tired in my career as I have been in the last two months. We should not try and do harm by not practicing prevention measures.”
The controversy between the ever changing mandates is all for the safety and well-being of the students. In an interview with CPR News, Douglas County School District board president said, “No parent should be forced to choose between sending their children to school and risking their health, and no family should have to choose between access to learning and putting their child’s life in jeopardy.”
Kirstie Ko, Online Editor
