N.J. school nurse suspended after saying masks are harmful

May 6, 2021 KayAdmin US 0

A students adjusts her facemask at St. Joseph Catholic School in La Puente, California on November 16, 2020, where pre-kindergarten to Second Grade students in need of special services returned to the classroom today for in-person instruction. - The campus is the second Catholic school in Los Angeles County to receive a waiver approval to reopen as the coronavirus pandemic rages on. The US surpassed 11 million coronavirus cases Sunday, adding one million new cases in less than a week, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

(Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

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UPDATED 4:15 PM PT – Wednesday, May 5, 2021

A New Jersey school nurse has spoken out she was suspended for raising the alarm about the dangers of face masks. Erin Pein, who works for Stafford Township School District, said the mask mandate is dangerous and harmful to children.

She recalled many incidents where students complained about headaches, stomach aches or shortness of breath after wearing dirty masks for weeks. Pein told district officials in April she didn’t feel comfortable enforcing a policy she believes harmful.

She was then suspended without pay after taking a stand against the mandate.

“This mandate isn’t safe,” Pein said. “It’s not good for kids, it’s not good for adults, it’s not good for anybody. We shouldn’t be following it. We shouldn’t be doing this. It is harmful. It’s dangerous and we need to stop complying with this.”

Many people have voiced support for Pein, including Republican gubernatorial candidate Hirsh Singh, who has organized a rally in support of the school nurse. The demonstration is planned for next week to protest the mask policy as well as to get Pein reinstated.