Assemblyman says he will not send his kids to school Tuesday with masks on

When Kieran Lalor's kids go to school this week, there's one thing they won't be bringing with them - masks.

News 12 Staff

Jun 7, 2021, 9:40 PM

Updated 1,274 days ago

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A local assemblyman says he will not be sending his children to school Tuesday with masks on.
When Kieran Lalor's kids go to school this week, there's one thing they won't be bringing with them - masks.
"Masks make me hot and I can't really breathe in it," says fourth grader Kieran Lalor Jr.
"It's really hot with the mask on. So without it, I won't be focusing on how hot I am," says eighth grader Riley Lalor.
"It's time for them to literally breathe free and figuratively breathe free," says their father, Assemblyman Kieran Lalor.
Lalor, the Republican assemblyman from Hopewell Hunction and a father of four, believes the decision to mask up should be on school districts and parents, not the state or federal government.
"I'm not saying every kid should be maskless. If you want your child to wear one mask, or two masks, or three masks, I think that's fine. Do what you feel is best for your child. But my wife and I know what's best for our children at this point," says Lalor.
Each child will have a written note to give to any teacher who asks them to put one on.
Lalor posted about his decision Sunday after the state's announcement led to confusion.
While many parents applauded his move, there are those who heavily disagree.
"We can respectfully disagree with each other, but respect our decision to do what we believe is best for our children," says Lalor.
When News 12 reached out to the Wappingers Central School District for comment, the superintendent forwarded a letter it sent to the state Monday requesting the decision be left up to local communities and health departments.
It explained to officials that many of its buildings are old and do not have air conditioning, which resulted in the district moving to remote instruction Monday due to the excessive heat and masking posing a possible health risk to students and staff.