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Marlys Davidson: School board president says ‘f**k you’ to parent at Covid meeting

Marlys Davidson, the president of the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Education, was heard cursing during the meeting

The president of a board of education in California sparked outrage after she was caught on mic swearing at a parent during a meeting this week after the latter raised concerns over mask and vaccine mandates in a school district.

Marlys Davidson, the president of the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Education, was heard cursing during the meeting after Lauren Roupoli raised concerns over mandates imposed on students that require them to wear masks in class. The concerned parent also protested the decision to give Covid-19 vaccine to children, arguing that she believed the risks far outweighed the benefits.

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Addressing the board, Roupoli accused one member of calling parents "selfish" for voicing their concerns at board meetings. Davidson was seen on video cutting Roupoli in the middle of her speech to tell her she had run out of time to speak to the board. However, the parent went on to finish what she was saying and concluded her speech with a round of applause from other parents present at the meeting. "We are vocal because we are our children’s biggest advocates," Roupoli declared. In the midst of cheers and applause, Davidson was heard saying "f*** you" through a microphone. 

This comes amid reports of several clashes across the country between parents and school officials over Covid restrictions, Critical Race Theory-based curricula, trans rights, which led to the National School Boards Association issuing an apology for claiming that parents confronting school district officials were akin to "domestic terrorists." Attorney General Merrick Garland praised the letter of apology but called on the FBI to probe such parents in a controversial memo that sparked considerable outrage.

Davidson, however, issued an apology for her remark following the meeting. "I reaffirm my commitment to serve our community with dignity and integrity, and I hope they will accept my sincere apology," she said, as reported by KTLA. Nonetheless, Roupoli insisted that Davidson "needs to step down" as president of the LAUSD. “After her true colors showed last night, there’s no taking that back,” the parent stated.

Davidson, who has reportedly taught students at both elementary and secondary school levels for 25 years, joined the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board in 2018. She grew up in the area and returned in 1980 after having married and started teaching as a career. She and her husband have reportedly been involved in a number of leadership positions over the years, including the PTA, School Site Council, sports, and Scouts, according to the education boards website.

It's worth noting that California is under a statewide mask mandate that affects over 6.7 million students. The controversial move is supported by the state's largest teachers' unions as well as the California Association of School Boards. The parents opposed to vaccines for children argue that the long-term side effects are unknown and that such mandates infringe upon their respective medical freedoms. Meanwhile, their opponents argue mandates are based "on science" and believe the only way to survive the pandemic is to be vaccinated and wear masks, Fox News reported.