Los Al Unified/YouTube
- A California school board president was caught mumbling "fuck you" at a parent during a meeting.
- Marlys Davidson's remarks came after a parent spoke out against mask and vaccine mandates.
- The tension comes amid a surge in school board drama across the country.
A California school board president was caught mumbling "fuck you" after a parent spoke out against mask and vaccine mandates during a meeting on Tuesday.
Marlys Davidson, president of the Los Alamitos Unified School District, could be heard uttering the profanity during a recording of the meeting, uploaded to the district's YouTube page.
Davidson's remarks came after a parent, Lauren Roupoli, tried to urge the school board to avoid enacting mask and vaccine mandates in school.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends students, teachers, and staff wear masks in schools to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, and that everyone eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine should do so. The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 12 and up, and is on the brink of recommending the shot for 5- to 11-year-olds.
"It should be up to every parent to make that decision," Roupoli said during the meeting.
She received applause from the crowd, before Davidson quietly cursed at her.
The comment came shortly after the 1:46:00 mark of the meeting:
"I am going to personally apologize to the speaker who most certainly deserves to know that when members of the public address the Board of Education, they must be heard with respect," Davidson said in a statement, according to local news station KABC.
She added: "These are trying times, but trying times demand that we rise to do our best. I reaffirm my commitment to serve our community with dignity and integrity, and I hope they will accept my sincere apology."
Roupoli called for Davidson to step down during an interview with local news station KTLA on Wednesday.
"After her true colors showed last night, there's no taking that back," Roupoli said.
Los Alamitos Unified School District didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on Thursday.
The drama is the latest in nationwide saga of increasing unruly behaviour surrounding school board meetings.
In the past week, three state school board associations have left the national organization as culture war drama boils over regarding topics including mask mandates, vaccine mandates, or teaching "critical race theory" in class.