The Chicks' Natalie Maines calls Georgia school superintendent's decision to ease mask rules 'a load of crap'
Natalie Maines, lead vocalist for the all-female country band The Chicks is calling out Paulding County Superintendent Brian Ottot after neglecting to reinforce Covid-19 safety measures in state schools. Paulding County Superintendent
The singer took to her Instagram to share a photo of students in a local school crowding in the hallway. The photo is notably concerning as a handful of students are seen wearing masks. "Georgia school superintendent Brian Otott says there’s no way to enforce mask wearing for students, which is nothing but a load of crap," Maines began her caption on Instagram.
"When I was in school they would bring out the ruler to measure if your shorts were more than an inch above your kneecap or if your mall bangs were over 6” high. They would send you straight home or to ISS. Nobody was going to die from shorts or mall bangs yet the rules were enforced," she continued. "Apparently Brian Otott can get away with murder and he doesn’t even have to go to ISS for it. Oh well. So be it. Like Trump says, 'It is what it is.' Right?" the singer added before concluding, "Good luck America. Be smarter than your President. It’s not hard. Literally anybody can do it."
Fans' response to The Chicks' lead singer have been supportive and with most agreeing that stricter guidelines need to be put in place. "I wish what happened "when I was a kid" still did happen. Parents don't support the districts making the rules. So many parents are refusing to wear masks, what does that show their children? Responsible parenting, while still out there, is becoming a rare thing," said a fan while another asked, "What is wrong with these kids parents?! 😢" One fan wrote, "Enforce it as part of the dress code. Simple. Done! You don’t wear a mask, you get sent home."
Maines's response is after reports said that two suburban Atlanta school districts began in-person classes on August 3 with mask-optional policies. Two districts from Cherokee County had dozens of senior students gathered and on their way to take traditional first-day senior photos. In photos of Sequoyah High School in Hickory Flat or Etowah High School in Woodstock, no one is seen wearing a mask.
According to The Washington Post, Ottot sent an email on August 4 confirming that the photos were accurate, but added that the district is following state guidelines and that students cannot catch the virus from others within a few minutes.
Noting that “There is no question that the photo does not look good,” he stated that class changes are "a challenge," and added, “it is an area where we are continuing to work on in this new environment to find practicable ways to further limit students from congregating.”
Ottot defended the district’s decision that masks are not a mandatory requirement, writing that “Wearing a mask is a personal choice and there is no practical way to enforce a mandate to wear them.”