Loudoun County school threatens to immediately suspend maskless students

Students who show up to school without a face mask starting on Feb. 2 will reportedly face immediate suspension from Woodgrove High School, part of Loudoun County Public Schools.

Woodgrove Principal William Shipp on Friday afternoon chastized unmasked students in a video obtained by The Epoch Times. "You have all chosen not to wear a mask this week," Shipp said. "Essentially, that is just defiant of the rules Loudoun County Public Schools have put up."

The district issued a statement Wednesday stating, "At this time masks are not optional." Newly-inaugurated Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-Va.) issued an executive order two days prior that ended the state's school mask mandate.

Shipp reportedly told students that if they returned to school on Feb. 2, the next day class is in session, without a mask, they would be suspended until they decided to start wearing masks. 

A student asked whether Shipp could legally suspend pupils for not wearing a mask given the executive order. Shipp responded that the  Loudoun County Public Schools policy is to wear masks, and said, "At this point, there is suspension."

Students are able to appeal their suspensions and use Schoology, the online learning platform, he said.

Sisters Caroline and Laura Thomas received nearly identical letters from Woodgrove High School. The only difference is the student ID and personal information, Epoch reported.

Students "who willfully continue to refuse to follow COVID mitigation measures as required by Loudoun County Public Schools will be suspended from school" for "disobedience" and "defiance," according to the letters obtained by Epoch.

Caroline and Laura's father Clint Thomas questioned the school's "double standard" in an interview with Epoch Times. Loudoun County followed the Virginia Department of Health's interim COVID guidance under Gov. Ralph Northam (D), but not under his Republican predecessor.

Thomas also noted how "defiance" is the reason for the suspension, "not masking." He told Epoch that Principal Shipp "is pushing them to wear a mask, so he doesn’t have to suspend them."

Loudoun County Public Schools spokesperson Wayde Byard told Epoch Times that he had no comments regarding the suspension and the mask guidance.