Wyoming high school student arrested for defying mask mandate
Laramie High School Grace Smith and her father Andrew Smith react to the suspension and arrest following daughters decision to break mask mandate rule
A 16-year-old Wyoming student recounted on "Fox & Friends First" Tuesday her recent arrest at school over her refusal to wear a mask on school grounds.
Grace Smith, a Laramie High School junior and her father, Andrew Smith, explained her suspension and trespassing arrest. Smith said she had been suspended multiple times for "continued willful disobedience."
"They gave me a second $500 citation for trespassing after my suspension, and then proceeded to arrest me after putting the school in lockdown for an hour and a half," she said.
Smith said that she’s faced three separate two-day suspensions over refusing to mask up and received $1,000 in trespassing fines for refusing to leave the campus, saying that she had a right to be on school grounds to continue her education.
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Anchor Todd Piro asked Smith what was going through her mind when she was arrested.
"I wanted to go back to class just so I could learn, I never thought they would actually arrest me. Honestly, it really surprised me to see them put me in cuffs and take me to jail," she said.
Her father Andrew blasted the state government for not stepping up to the plate to defend her civil liberties.
"Nobody would step in and act on Grace’s behalf, and support her civil liberties guaranteed in the constitution of Wyoming, so it has been amazing to witness from an outsider’s perspective and appalling frankly, that they would take it this far," he said.
"Nobody through the entire administration whether it be law enforcement officers, the city police chief, the county sheriff, the governor's office stepped in on her behalf."
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The school district approved the mask mandate on Sept. 8, making it mandatory for most students to wear masks in all buildings and on buses. The mandate was set to expire on Oct. 15, but officials were scheduled to meet on Wednesday to revisit the plan.
Fox News Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.