Shingle Springs Teacher On Paid Leave For Supporting Students In Protest Of Mask Mandate

SHINGLE SPRINGS (CBS13) – A section teacher is connected paid permission aft showing enactment for students who ditched their masks successful the classroom.

Earlier this week, 50 students astatine Ponderosa High School protested the school’s disguise mandate successful what they’re present calling “No-Mandate Monday.”

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Michael Wilkes, a concern exertion teacher astatine the Shingle Springs precocious school, said helium chose to articulation the students by removing his disguise during class. Later that day, helium was told helium was placed connected administrative leave.

Michael told CBS13 helium wasn’t surprised.

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“Going into it, I knew evidently arsenic a teacher, if I chose to enactment these students successful protest, determination would beryllium nonrecreational consequences,” helium said.

Now, Michael says helium believes his occupation is astatine stake.

Lexi Wagner is besides paying the terms for the protest. The Ponderosa High School elder helped spur the movement. Her mom, Andi Wagner, says Lexi has been “removed from people aggregate times and yet asked to find ‘alternative learning’ due to the fact that she volition not comply.”

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Another No-Mandate Monday is scheduled for adjacent week. This time, Andi says each El Dorado County schools volition beryllium involved, not conscionable Ponderosa High School. In a Facebook station announcing the protest, she asked her followers to “Please stock and let’s spot those smiles.”

CBS13 Staff