Montclair, NJ- State Senate Candidate in the 34th Legislative District, Scott Pollack issued the following statement calling for the mask mandate for New Jersey students to be lifted and for parents to be able to decide whether students wear masks at school.

“Given that the science on the effectiveness of masks in schools is inconclusive, I am calling on Governor Murphy to defer to parents and students and give them the choice on whether or not our students wear masks”, stated Pollack, “We cannot let the politics of COVID interfere in our student’s education, and masks are known to not only be uncomfortable but interfere with communication between students and teachers. It is unfortunate that Governor Murphy and Senator Gill are putting the special interests such as the NJEA above our students and the science by supporting this mask mandate.”

“In my district, students in Montclair have faced enough, being one of the last districts statewide to re-open for in-person learning, putting students at a disadvantage compared to their peers across the state. Now, this mask mandate is only further impacting our student’s education, making school more difficult and distracting, with little health benefit. As your State Senator, I will stand up for our students so that no child is left behind”, continued Pollack. “I will be a tireless vaccine choice advocate in the New Jersey State Senate and look forward to working with the vaccine choice community to advance their goals and protect their freedoms. I will always fight to unmask our kids and protect the constitutional right of our students and teachers to refrain from masking.”