DOWNERS GROVE – Parents and concerned citizens in Downers Grove are locking arms to defend District 99 students against the demands being placed on their kids – while at the same time challenging what they see as hypocrisy at the district's highest levels.
The group – WAKE UP D99 – is a part of a growing movement statewide, all concerned about their children's welfare.
Together, this emerging group of D99 parents and citizens raised $5400 to join a lawsuit filed Wednesday of 145 schools with almost 900,000 students to challenge Governor JB Pritzker's statewide mask mandate. The suit, filed by downstate attorney Thomas DeVore, is scheduled to be heard November 5th at the Macoupin County Court in Carlinville, Illinois.
But concerned citizens of District 99 have also set up a website and Facebook page to publicly detail challenges they are mounting towards district officials – specifically D 99 Superintendent Hank Thiele. After viewing social media photos posted from a recent Illinois Association of School Administrators conference, the taxpayers reported responses they received from Dr. Thiele, who is part of the IASA's leadership.
From the WAKE UP D99's report entitled, "Caught With Their Masks Down":
We reached out to Dr. Thiele to ask if the same leniency toward mask requirements granted to IASA superintendents would be afforded to D99 students, teachers, and staff. Dr. Thiele answered, "Just as I do at school, I followed the same protocols I expect our students and staff to follow while I attended the conference."
When asked for comments about the conference or his colleagues in regard to the maskless pictures, Dr. Thiele said that he provided feedback to the leaders in IASA. But he declined to provide the specifics of that feedback saying, "I can only speak for my own actions. I encourage you to reach out to IASA if you would like to get their official response."
Finally, we asked Dr. Thiele whether he was as vocally adamant that people wear their masks properly at the IASA conference as he and the board have been at school board meetings. Dr. Thiele replied, "I have no authority or responsibility outside of the district to compel others to follow the mitigation strategies outlined by the State of Illinois. I do have those responsibilities within District 99 and will continue to ensure they are followed within the District, as I will also continue to model those same practices I expect of those within our school settings."
Illinois Review spoke with one of the website organizers, Larisa Calvanese, who said there is a growing number of parents and residents in the Downers Grove area that are asking questions of school officials, particularly about whether school officials are being required to adhere to similar standards their children are.
"I can confirm a WAKE UP D99 person emailed Dr. Thiele those questions. And those were his replies," Calvanese said.
But Thiele's answers are self-explanatory. He wasn't eager to respond. Photos show IASA leadership standing together on stage without masks.
At the same time, the IASA conference program included these instructions:
All the Wake Up D 99 parents want is for their kids to have the same freedoms the IASA participants had, Calvanese said.
More info at WakeUpD99's Facebook page. The site says Monday morning, "On November 5, District 99 parents will join a consolidated legal action asking the court for an injunction against Gov. Pritzker’s mask mandates and forced quarantines."
