Fargo School Board Meetings held virtually, woman claims move was made to silence public

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – Fargo School Board meetings are now being held virtually due to some participants not wearing face masks.

According to Board President Rebecca Knutson, some attendees and participants at recent meetings had not been following protocols including wearing masks inside district buildings. The decision to move meetings virtually was made at the last Governance Committee meeting.

A Fargo woman who spoke during public comments during Tuesday night’s board meeting says the move is a way for the school board to silence the public.

“The most recent governance meeting I listened to, a very entitled group of leaders discussed ways to silence people that didn’t agree with them. First, they made a decision to move these meetings virtually as an inexcusable exercise of power to silence parents through a COVID scapegoat,” Alexis Scott said.

A motion to recommend masks rather than mandate them has been postponed by the school board to the September 28th meeting.

School Board Member Jennifer Benson put forth a motion to end the district’s mask mandate and contact tracing, but it was not seconded by another member.

Watch the entire Fargo School Board meeting below.