In three lines with exclamation marks, Miami-Dade School Board Member Lubby Navarro sold parents, teachers and kids out to side with her Republican Party and Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“I do not support masking our children,” Navarro tweeted early Wednesday. “I stand firm on giving the choice to our parents! The strongest voice in our public education system are our parents!”
Within nine hours, she had 256 replies, overwhelmingly in disagreement, some of them from parents outraged that she would put their children in danger of getting the virusL.
“Great, send your kids to a charter Petri dish. That’s your choice,” wrote David Quiñones. “Ninety-six percent of us are choosing to observe basic safety protocols so our children don’t get sick. That’s our choice.”
Know more: Ron DeSantis fails children with political posturing on COVID-19 safety
“I’m a MDCPS parent. Allowing anti science parents to choose not to mask their kids puts my kids at risk,” wrote Veronica McCullom. “Your entire job is to keep my kids safe. This is a dereliction of duty please reconsider at least until kids under are able to be vaccinated.”
“This is the most irresponsible tweet. You don’t deserve to represent us, the parents. You clearly don’t even have enough knowledge to understand how masks work,” tweeted another person. “As our kids aren’t vaccinated, masks are our only recourse. If they’re not mutually used, they are not effective.”
Someone else noted that we have a whole Department of Children and Families to show that parents don’t always act in their kids’ best interests.
“Some people have no problem sacrificing their children to the Fox News misinformation gods,” said one tweet. Another dared her to spend some time in the ER or COVID wing of a children’s hospital.
Even former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell chimed in, calling the post for what it was: political posturing.
“Apparently this board member thinks she knows more than the 67,000 memes of the American Academy of Pediatrics who recommend children wear masks,” Mucarsel-Powell wrote. “Parents, ignore the politicization by right wing officials. Protect your children and families.”
Know more: Top cause for COVID mask, ‘jab’ reluctance is right-wing anti-science
The academy has issued guidelines for the 2021-2022 school year that includes masking for all children over the age of 2.
“AAP recommends universal masking because a significant portion of the student population is not yet eligible for vaccines, and masking is proven to reduce transmission of the virus and to protect those who are not vaccinated,” it says on the website. “Many schools will not have a system to monitor vaccine status of students, teachers and staff, and some communities overall have low vaccination uptake where the virus may be circulating more prominently.”
Circulating prominently. Hey, that’s us.
Some of Navarro’s critics on Twitter noted that her day job is as director of government affairs (read: lobbyist) for Memorial Healthcare in Hollywood. Masks are required at their facilities. Ladra can’t help but wonder if they know about Navarro’s controversial position.
She could not be reached for comment. Her voicemailbox is full and she did not respond to a text message asking her to call Ladra.
But certainly one has to hope that Navarro takes these responses to her tweet and treat it like a referendum — it’s clear what her constituency wants — and then vote in favor of a mask mandate next Wednesday when the school board meets.
School Board’s Lubby Navarro gets spanked on Twitter for anti mask post added by Ladra on
View all posts by Ladra →
