Jamie Walsh opened Tuesday’s mask mandate discussion at the Lake-Lehman football field with some remarks, saying that ‘we all could agree or disagree on things, but I know we all love our children and grandchildren.’ Guest speaker Eric Winter, an attorney from Berks County, is behind him.
                                 Kevin Carroll | Times Leader

Jamie Walsh opened Tuesday’s mask mandate discussion at the Lake-Lehman football field with some remarks, saying that ‘we all could agree or disagree on things, but I know we all love our children and grandchildren.’ Guest speaker Eric Winter, an attorney from Berks County, is behind him.

Kevin Carroll | Times Leader

<p>RJ Scouton performs ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ before Tuesday’s informational rally at the Lake-Lehman High School football field.</p>
                                 <p>Kevin Carroll | Times Leader</p>

RJ Scouton performs ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ before Tuesday’s informational rally at the Lake-Lehman High School football field.

Kevin Carroll | Times Leader

<p>Guest speaker Eric Winter, an attorney from Berks County who was retained by Lake-Lehman School District parent Jamie Walsh to look into the legality of the state’s mask mandate for schools, speaks on Tuesday.</p>
                                 <p>Kevin Carroll | Times Leader</p>

Guest speaker Eric Winter, an attorney from Berks County who was retained by Lake-Lehman School District parent Jamie Walsh to look into the legality of the state’s mask mandate for schools, speaks on Tuesday.

Kevin Carroll | Times Leader

<p>Over 200 people filled the bleachers to hear Winter’s presentation.</p>
                                 <p>Kevin Carroll | Times Leader</p>

Over 200 people filled the bleachers to hear Winter’s presentation.

Kevin Carroll | Times Leader

LEHMAN TWP. — Over 200 concerned parents, grandparents and community members from across the region gathered at Lake-Lehman High School on Tuesday night for an informational gathering geared toward fighting against Pennsylvania’s school mask mandate.

Attorney Eric Winter, a Berks County-based lawyer, was hired by Lake-Lehman parent Jamie Walsh to look into the legality of the state’s mask mandate, which requires students, staff and visitors at K-12 schools to wear a face covering while inside school facilities regardless of vaccination status.

Walsh said before the event started that he wanted to host Tuesday’s gathering, held on the black turf of the Lake-Lehman football field, because people in the district and beyond were confused on the mandate’s meaning.

“Everyone else in our area is doing whatever they want to do,” Walsh said. “They’re going to Penn State with 100,000 people, they’re going to weddings … we want to know what this means for our children.”

The crowd Tuesday night was composed primarily of parents, though there were some children present, as well. The original advertisement for the gathering noted that parents from all districts across Pennsylvania were invited.

“I want to see what they have to say here tonight, and maybe we could apply it in our own schools,” said Maricela Everitt, a parent from Pittston Area.

The crowd submitted questions beforehand covering a variety of topics ranging from the mask mandate, to the perceived overreach of Gov. Tom Wolf, to potential worries about the FBI getting involved if the parents were to speak out against mask mandates.

“It’s child abuse,” said Dunmore resident Bill Torbeck of the mandate.

Winter, an attorney of 22 years who represented a number of restaurants cited by the state during last year’s emergency shutdown, gave a presentation that stretched well over an hour, arguing that the state’s mask mandate is unconstitutional and unenforceable for a number of reasons.

The attorney pointed out that, through his work, he’s observed that the mandate has been interpreted in a number of different ways by different districts.

“This order was issued as a one-size-fits-all directive for everyone, and that doesn’t make sense,” Winter said. “Why should Lake-Lehman be waiting until Philadelphia gains control of the virus?”

Each point made was met by a big positive response from the crowd, especially when Winter made reference to the governor.

“This is not how you govern people,” Winter said. “We didn’t elect Wolf to make laws, we elected him to govern … he has repeatedly usurped the authority of the state legislature.”

Vaccine mandates

Not just limited to the mask mandate, Winter also fielded questions and gave out advice for those looking to find loopholes in pending and potential federal vaccine mandates.

“You can claim religious exemption if you say you have a strong moral objection to the vaccine,” he said. “You don’t have to be affiliated with any one particular religion.”

The evening featured a strong religious presence: Pastor Matt Tarr from the High Point Baptist Church in Larksville, along with members of his parish, were there to spread the good word and welcome new members to the congregation.

Winter, who said that “we’re praying for an end to this mandate,” chalked up the mandate as fear-based “emotional manipulation.”

“This is all smoke and mirrors, all a game,” he said. “We are living in a state of chaos.”