Photos and words by Sean Rayford

As parents, administrators and concerned citizens gathered inside the Berkeley County School District headquarters on Tuesday night, Angela Dephouse joined one of two opposing protest groups outside the building. Standing on the Main St. sidewalk with a sign reading “Moms Against Masks” she waved to passing vehicles in Moncks Corner, SC, in front of the former Berkeley High School.

Earlier in the day, the ACLU filed a lawsuit against the state concerning the summer provisio limiting mask mandates in school.

“I'm against any kind of mandate, any kind of forced vaccination, any kind of quarantining of healthy children. I think all of this is a ridiculous response to a virus that is not affecting our kids,” said Dephouse, a mother of eight.

Dephouse said she has friends on both sides of the mask mandate battle and that they believe different scientists and different doctors. “We all should have a right to go with our gut and believe legitimate people on both sides.”

As things got underway inside, District 2 board member Mac McQuillin referenced a recent Charleston City school board meeting where the public comment session was marred with outbursts from the crowd. People shouted down speakers and a doctor reported being spit on. Better behavior would be expected here.

Several times during the Tuesday’s meeting, presiding board member David Barrow gaveled to remind those in attendance that disrespect from the crowd would not be tolerated.

Mrs. Johnson (who asked that her first name be withheld), a Berkeley County resident with children in 2nd and 7th grades also protested outside — but in favor of mask mandates. She pulled her children from the district schools during the first week of school. Her youngest son’s school failed to implement social distancing and his teacher wouldn’t wear a mask.

She said her group of concerned parents isn’t against freedom - a claim from the anti-mandate crowd. “We’ve been fighting for freedom for many, many years. Our concern is about the children and the safety of our children in the schools,” said Johnson, “I really wish what people would do as a community, is come together and just love one another — because that is what we are missing.”

Tom Fernandez, a lawyer with three grandchildren in the Berkeley County schools, ages 9, 11 and 12, helped to organize the anti-mandate protest.

“We're out here protesting for choice over mandate. We don't disagree with someone's freedom to choose to wear a mask but we do not believe that it's something that should be mandated by our government,” said Fernandez.

Inside at the meeting, Dr. Mike Dorrity, an emergency room doctor at Roper St. Francis hospital, where more than 90% of in-patient beds are occupied, took his turn at the podium. Dressed in dark blue scrubs, he was on his way to work a shift and the second physician to speak. “It doesn’t just affect adults, it affects kids too,” he said.

He has concerns about multi-system inflammatory syndrome — recently observed in children. “The last number I saw last week was 123 cases in South Carolina and that includes several deaths.”

According to the CDC, “Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a condition where different body parts can become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs.” Doctors aren’t sure what causes MIS-C but have noted that many children with MIS-C had the virus that causes COVID-19, or had been around someone with COVID-19.

A consensus complaint from parents during the public session was a lack of planning to facilitate learning for students at home with COVID-19 or those quarantining.

Parents who objected to mask mandates voiced concerns about, “experimental injections,” masks not providing protection, deaths after vaccinations and “crimes against humanity.” *

The anti-mandate crowd focused on individual rights and their opponents focused on responsibilities to the community.

Dr. Karen Gersch, a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons practicing at Trident Medical Hospital, where more than 95% of in-patient beds are occupied, spoke about her recent experiences. “I had a 33 year-old die today with three young sons. And I could not save his life but I tried damn hard,” she said, “How many of my children, your children — your grandchildren need to die before you recognize what is rooted in science and rooted in data? Every single respectable society and academy and association preaches the same thing: vaccinate and mandate masks - period. There is no argument.”

The final speaker during the public feedback session, a school bus driver, said she was exposed to Covid-19 on Wednesday, has been feeling sick and sought treatment from doctors. Masked at the podium, she told the board that she’s probably infected with the virus. As she returned to her seat and the public session wrapped up, some of those who had been seated around her scrambled to leave before she returned.

In Berkeley County, the 7 day average of COVID-19 cases is 210, eclipsing a peak of 143 from January. Over the last 14 days cases have increased 57% and hospitalizations have increased 104%. There were seven COVID-19 attributed deaths during the most recent 14 day reporting period. There are 220 reported COVID-19 deaths in the County since January of 2020.

*The CDC reports that adverse events to VAERS following vaccination, including deaths, do not necessarily mean that a vaccine was the cause a health problem and “a review of available clinical information, including death certificates, autopsy, and medical records, has not established a causal link to COVID-19 vaccines.”

A report from Reuters addresses a recent video produced by Stranger Than Fiction News.

About the author: Sean Rayford is a Columbia, SC freelance photojournalist working with The New York Times, The WAshington Post, Getty Images and many others. He is a 2001 graduate of the University of SOuth Carolina.