Parents contend for high school board support against vaccine

Rick Monroe

Special to the Village News

Trustees of the Fallbrook Union High School District were pitched a passionate case to take a stand against mandated COVID-19 vaccinations at their Monday, Oct. 25 meeting. However, board members showed no inclination they would side with the vocal parents.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced plans to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of vaccinations required to attend school in-person when the vaccine receives full approval from the Food and Drug Administration for middle and high school grades.

The parents spoke during the public comments part of the FUHSD meeting and the board wasn't taking any action at the meeting about mandates. The speakers were limited to three minutes each and a total of 20 minutes on the subject.

Many of the speakers focused about the vaccine not being needed, and the risk of unvaccinated children possibly being harmed by the vaccine. When speaker Tiara Dabney asked which parents were willing to take their children out of public schools, a large part of the attendance at the Bob Burton Performing Arts Center stood and cheered.

Dabney didn't read a prepared speech but spoke strongly about the new Fallbrook Freedom Fighters growing in numbers – to more than 1,000 now.

"You're so afraid to take a leap of faith with us," she said.

Another speaker, Jason Neese, said, "A sleeping giant awakens."

He added, "Our liberties are being destroyed. We need you to push back to preserve our community. You are on notice to preserve liberty."

His wife, JJ Neese, had a similar plea, "We are asking you to fight for us and defy the mandate and sue the state. Go on the offensive. We're here to fight with you, please don't let us fight against you."

Others had similar thoughts. "We ask you to stand for us and our children," Anna Leigh said. "The public school system is broken," said Courtney Stevens. Lindsey Jones presented the board with a copy of a resolution adopted by the school board in Capistrano Valley that she said the district could use for a template. "We want you with us or we will work against you," she added.

Speakers said 300 to 400 students in Fallbrook (elementary and high school) stayed home the previous Monday for a "sit out" showing what could happen if proposed mandates were not opposed by the board. Another protest is scheduled Nov. 15.

After the speakers, Superintendent Ilsa Garza-Gonzalez shared about the method used by the district to handle contract tracing of COVID-19 and other information that didn't seem to answer the concerns of parents.

The school board voted unanimously to approve the other business on the agenda. Their next meeting is on Nov. 8.