Going to school in today’s day and age brings forth a whole new set of rules and regulations. With the new reality of the coronavirus pandemic, many students and teachers are faced with a ton of new regulations put forth by school districts and government officials to ensure the health and safety of everyone in the building.
Many schools across the country are mandating that students and staff return to the classroom in masks.
While not all students are attending school in-person, those who do are required to wear face masks during the time they are in the building. This is to prevent the spread of illness and possible COVID-19 cases, in accordance with mask guidelines from The CDC.
Some schools have rules about what types of masks can and cannot be worn.
Some schools only allow specific mask materials and types for students and staff, as some masks are deemed “safer” and more effective than others.
There are also schools that have rules around what can be on the mask in terms of design and decoration.
Some schools are worried about students wearing masks that are not “school appropriate” and have set restrictions on designs and decorations on masks.
One school in Florida recently encountered a problem with a fifth grader who decided to wear a Hooters mask to school.
A fifth-grade student at Sunset Park Elementary School in Windermere, Florida was asked to “switch out” his mask when he came to school sporting one with the Hooters name on it.
The mask featured the company’s name, Hooters, across it several times in big bubble letters.
The student’s father, Steve Golba, told local news station WESH 2 that he disagreesd with the school asking his son to remove the mask and that he finds “nothing offensive” about the mask at all.
Golba’s son, Ian, wore the mask to school for two weeks and had been asked twice to remove it.
“I wore it and (the teacher) said it was not appropriate for school and I asked her why and she said if you really want to know why, go ask the principal,” the fifth-grader said in an interview.
Ian did not quite understand why he was being asked to remove his mask.
“He told me to take it off three times and I asked him why, he said just take it off, so I took it off and I had to wear a different mask,” he said.
According to reports, Ian said his teacher told him the mask was inappropriate for one reason.
According to reports , Ian was told the restaurant represents a, “woman’s body.” His father, however, still saw absolutely nothing wrong with him wearing the mask to school, citing that he, “only sees [Hooters] as a restaurant.”
Additionally, Golba said that the message this sends to his son is confusing.
“Do we feel women’s bodies are offensive? I don’t know. I don’t.
The principal told me that it was inappropriate. I said I don’t understand why it’s inappropriate. There’s nothing wrong with that mask,” Golba said.
After this story went viral, even Hooters chimed in.
The official Hooters Twitter tweeted out an offer to Ian of free chicken wings following all the news coverage over his mask.
h/t: WESH 2
