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Videos show Illinois students locked inside school rooms for not wearing masks

One 13-second clip shows the hand of a child trying to open the lock of the room while an unidentified masked man stood outside

ELGIN, ILLINOIS: A video showing a middle school student being latched inside a room for not covering his mask amid the Covid-19 pandemic has gone viral. Footage of the incident has been shared on Twitter by Libs of Tik Tok. Though the date of the incident is not known, it was posted on February 11 on Twitter.

The 13-second clip shows nothing much but the hand of a child trying to open the lock of the room while an unidentified masked man stood outside. The student can also be heard saying, “It is the law by Governor Pritzker to let me out of this room. You can't lock me in a room. You can't lock me in here. Please let me out.”

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After the video went viral, The Post Millennial contacted school representative Yesenia Rivera who refuted that it’s the policy of the school district to put students behind locked doors if they do not wear masks. Rivera said: “No, that doesn't happen but I would have to know that school.”

Libs of Tik Tok also posted another video of another student in that district reportedly locked inside a room for not donning a face covering. The caption of the six-second clip read, “Here’s another video in this same district of a kid being locked up for not wearing a mask.”

On February 10, Governor JB Pritzer made new announcements regarding masks but also added that “as the CDC reaffirmed just today, masks remain a critical tool to keep schools safe and open.” The new order stated, “With statewide COVID-19 hospitalization rates declining faster than any other point in the pandemic, Illinois is on track to lift the statewide indoor mask requirement on Monday, February 28, 2022. Mask requirements will continue where federally mandated, such as on public transit and in high-risk settings including healthcare facilities and congregate care. Masking requirements will also continue to apply in all daycare settings. The state intends to continue masking requirements in P-12 schools subject to pending litigation which impacts a number of schools.”

Meanwhile, the videos attracted a lot of attention online, with a user slamming the school district and saying, “I'm pretty sure that's false imprisonment. If so, that's a felony in a lot of places. That kid is about to get paid.” The second user wrote, “IL is an absolute mess!!! Masking is mandated in schools only some districts JUST went optional this week bc they were sued. Many districts that were not included on the suit are still mask mandatory. The Gov said he will fight to keep kids masked. Help us!!!”

“Can someone please explain to me how this is legal?? If teachers or staff did this when I was in school they would have been fired. Of a judge allows mask optional then how are these so called people allowed to do this?” the third user asked.

A person suggested, “If this happans call the police and say you are being held against your will and the teachers are abusing you.” Another one commented, “If that was my child I assure you this teacher would have a very uncomfortable future.” A tweet read, “If a teacher had locked me in a room at that age, against my will I’d have smashed everything in that room. Not saying that’s the correct course of action but you better put me in a room of stuff you don’t give a shit about.”