The last regular meeting of the Brookfield Board of Education ended abruptly last week as emotions boiled over on mask mandates, vaccines, quarantine and assistance for special ed students.  One woman who didn't sign up to speak took the microphone, turned her back on the Board of rallied the audience. 

The September 15th meeting video cuts off as Board members walked out, and resumes in the middle of the woman's comments.  Then other parents started speaking over one another.  Vice Chair Bob Belden tried to regain control of the meeting, but parents continuing yelling their frustrations. 

The board implemented a 7pm cutoff for public speaking sign-ups to combat some of the issues that came up during previous meetings.  A Brookfield Board of Ed video was briefly taken down by YouTube in July after it was flagged for “medical misinformation” as parents spoke out during public comment sessions. 

One parent was critical of the Board for saying their hands are tied.  The state mask mandate expires at the end of the month, though the Govenror is seeking an extension through February.  Boards of Ed can't make different rules on masking.  Municipalities are authorized to mandate masks in indoor public places, but schools still fall under state and federal purview.