As Lynden students protest, Whatcom schools await guidance on universal masking mandates

On the day Gov. Jay Inslee announced outdoor mask mandates would be lifted and indoor requirements would be looked at, approximately 300 students in the Lynden School District staged a protest over being required to wear masks in classes.

Lynden school administrators became aware of plans for the protest late Tuesday through a parent Facebook protest group, Interim Superintendent Mike Stromme told The Bellingham Herald Wednesday, Feb. 9. “There really wasn’t much activity at the elementary schools, but we did have some students participate at the middle school and high school,” Stromme told The Herald, estimating 100 students were involved at the high school and between 150 and 200 students at the middle school.

The protest was at least partially organized by parents, and involved students trying to enter the schools without wearing masks, Stromme said.

While Stromme said he understands some students’ and parents’ frustrations over being required to wear masks in schools, especially as mask mandates in other parts of the country are being dropped, he said he can’t speculate when those school requirements will be dropped here.