An elementary learner, 8, has been bullied for wearing a mask. Now, she wants to request her Missouri school system to mandate wearing the protective covering.
Wearing masks were then optional at Windsor C1 schools and children have the option to wear one or not to school. But no questions were asked for Everylee Cox, an 8-year-old student at James E. Freer Elementary, to wear one.
“I do it to keep people safe but not just that, also to make sure people don’t get sick,” she said.
In her school, only a number of students practice mask wearing. But bullies attacked her because she was wearing one. At one time, she was even pushed against a gate.
“He didn’t really say anything, all he did was just push me against the gate and walk away,” the child said. “I’ve seen him side-eyeing me when I wear it and when we line up at lunch.”
“All allegations of bullying in our schools are taken seriously and the situation was handled and resolved promptly,” Schools Superintendent Joel Holland assured.
Everylee and her family, however, ask more than this as the child said some of her friends who wear masks were also subjected to bullying. She is planning to ask for a school board meeting on Wednesday to make a mask wearing a mandate.
“I mean, she’s the one having to go through this every day. It’s not me, us as parents; we’re not the ones going to school,” Everylee’s mother, Shirley Thomas, said. “It’s her, it’s these kids. So I feel like maybe if they heard how she feels, maybe it might click something.”
Since the pandemic, Jefferson County has seen the highest cases of COVID-19 infected children which surpassed 237 cases of children under 19 years of age, KRON4 reported.
Wearing a mask is the best shield Everylee and children her age can get as they are not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccine.
