2 Bedford high school seniors say they've been suspended for not wearing masks

The twins say they've been out more than a week now, and it's unclear when that could change.

News 12 Staff

Feb 4, 2022, 1:39 AM

Updated 985 days ago

Share:

Two seniors at a high school in Bedford say they've been suspended because they will not wear masks in school.
The 17-year-old twins say they've been out more than a week now, and it's unclear when that could change.
They didn't want to share their names, but their mother says she supports their decisions.
Last week, a New York State Supreme Court judge on Long Island struck down Gov. Kathy Hochul's mask mandate in schools and other public locations.
Ray Smith's daughters tell News 12 that Fox Lane High School in Bedford went from mask required to mask optional on Tuesday.
Last week, an appellate judge ruled that the mask mandate is still allowed for the time being.
On Wednesday, the Smiths say the school was requiring masks again, but the two seniors did not comply.
They say the school has suspended the pair since for violation of their dress code.
The Smiths say all the other students they know continued wearing masks, and that they are - as a result - the only ones suspended.
They say they believe students should have a choice on whether to continue wearing masks in school.
The seniors say they question whether masks are working because of a recent COVID outbreak at the school.
The CDC recently updated guidelines that people should be improving the quality of their masks to protect against COVID-19, warning cloth masks are less effective than others like N-95s and K-N-95s.
The agency also says the benefits of mask-wearing are "well-established."
News 12 asked if the Smith girls are vaccinated, but they did not share the answer.
News 12 reached out to Bedford Central School District but hasn't heard anything back yet.