LAFAYETTE - Kelly Beasley, as parent and guardian for a minor child, filed a federal complaint on September 13 in the Western District of Louisiana against many school entities like the Iberia Parish School District Board of Education over its reaction to a child not wearing a mask.
Also named as defendants, among others, are Caneview Elementary School Administration, Iberia Middle School Administration, and Carey Laviolette as Superintendent of Iberia Parish School District Board.
According to the complaint, the minor child entered Caneview Elementary School on August 11, 2021, and was taken to an isolated classroom due to not having a mask on. He remained in the room isolated without adequate supervision until his mother was able to pick him up, the suit says. Upon picking him, his mother alleges he was traumatized.
According to the Iberia Parish School Board Policy, students will be adequately supervised at all times and abuse is defined as any act in which seriously endangers the physical, mental or emotional health of a child; the infliction attempted infliction, or, as a result of inadequate supervision, the allowance of the infliction or attempted infliction of physical or mental injury upon the child by a parent or any other person.
Beasley alleges that the school, by attempting to force her child to wear a mask, also has infringed upon her religious rights, has refused her child education due to noncompliance, discriminated against her due to religious rights, and punished her child by placing her child into a FINS program for missing school since her child is not allowed to go to school unless agrees to follow the mask mandate.
U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana case number 6:21-cv-03276-RRS-PJH