Apple Valley Teacher Under Investigation After Mask Policy Incident
Update 2/24: Officials for Apple Valley Unified School District have released a statement regarding masks policies for all schools. The current policy states that if a student refuses to wear their mask indoors, they are not permitted to stay indoors. Students have been provided an outdoor environment where they can complete assigned classwork. If students are defiant the district encourages students to comply.
Cell phone video shot inside a classroom at Apple Valley High School shows a student being physically removed by what is believed to be the teacher. In the video, a male teacher bear hugs the male student from behind and carries him across the classroom and out the door. The student does appear to be smiling as students in the classroom begin to giggle. The teacher can be heard letting out grunting noises as the student is carried across the classroom and out the door.
Reports on social media indicate that the teacher had done so because Apple Valley Unified School District has implemented a mandatory mask policy while inside classrooms. An inquiry into the district to get the official policy has not been responded to as of yet. However, one social media user has said that the school principal at one point has stated that no child will be forcefully removed from a classroom.
The school district put a blanketed statement on social media saying that the district is well aware of the video in question and the incident. Officials for the district have already started its own investigation and “appropriate outside agencies have been notified.” District officials would not provide any additional info in the statement other than the investigation has been labeled as confidential and that it is an active investigation. The district says that appropriate actions will be taken based on any violations of California law and the education code.
The state law regarding physically restraining a student for any purpose outside of violent behavior. There’s a section on the state’s website about a new law regarding the use of restraint and seclusion for students in California. That law suggests that an educational provider, such as a teacher is not allowed to use a behavioral restraint for the purpose of discipline as well as a series of other related issues. There’s also a section that discusses using a physical restraint technique, like a bear hug, that may obstruct a pupil’s respiratory airway or impairs the pupil’s breathing or respiratory capacity, including techniques in which a staff member places pressure on a pupil’s back or places his or her body weight against the pupil’s torso or back.