Fellner: End the forced masking of Nevada schoolchildren

The Carson City School District has finally repealed its mask mandate after acknowledging that there were no discernible differences in Covid cases between schools that had a mandate and those that did not.

Unfortunately, most Nevada students remain trapped within the Clark County School District, which still has a mask mandate in place. It is long past time to end the forced masking of children.

First, there has never been any real evidence that masking children is beneficial. Second, the harms to masking children are real, which is one reason why the World Health Organization only recommends children aged 12 and over wear masks in the same circumstances that adults do. In fact, the agency explicitly states that “children aged 5 and under should not be required to wear masks.” Yet, the CDC recommends children aged 2 and up to wear masks, a recommendation Governor Sisolak then made mandatory for all Clark and Washoe county schools. There is no data whatsoever that supports this, however. In fact, the forced masking of students as young as 2 is something that is almost universally rejected outside of the U.S., and for good reason: the balance of evidence makes clear that a masked mandate for students this young is almost certain to be a net harm. This is why some of the experts and organizations that previously championed mask mandates have in recent days at last acknowledged that it is time to end the mandates. (See, for example, these op-eds recently published in USA Today, The New York Times, and Time Magazine.)

Nevadans are currently ruled by a political class that appears unwilling to do right by our children. In a very real sense, Nevadans do not have political leaders at all. The Nevada Legislature has fully abdicated its role as a legislative body and continues to allow Governor Sisolak to single-handedly both create and enforce the law. Ignoring the constitutional and other problems associated with having a one-man super legislature, it’s not even accurate to say that Nevadans are being governed by Sisolak either.

Instead, it is the unelected federal bureaucrats at the CDC who are dictating the Covid-related laws and policies being imposed upon all Nevadans, including Nevada students. Other than transcribing CDC policies onto executive orders bearing his name, it’s unclear what Governor Sisolak has done in response to Covid that could be considered truly governing. There has been no critical assessment of the almost comically flawed guidance being pushed by the CDC. There was no recognition that there is more to life and public health than a singular focus on seeking to reduce the possibility of catching Covid at all costs.

In other words, there was no leadership at all. Instead, there was only cowardice and abdication. And Nevada children continue to suffer for it.

There is no sound evidence that justifies the forced masking of children. There is no constitutional basis for Governor Sisolak to continue acting as a one-man legislature. For the past two years, Nevadans have effectively been ruled by the unelected bureaucrats at the CDC. It’s time that changes.