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Nearly a week after a student representative of the Loudoun County School Board was driven to tears by jeers from the audience as she thanked board members for maintaining a mask mandate in LCPS classrooms, the teen is receiving support from the community.
On Jan. 25, the senior at Park View High School applauded the School Board for continuing to require that face masks be worn during the COVID-19 pandemic despite an executive order by the newly-sworn in governor, which have given parents control over whether their children wear masks in school. The order has been challenged in court.
But less than a minute after beginning her remarks on the importance of masks in schools, Rivera teared up when members of the audience interrupted her remarks. In a video recording of the meeting, board member Altoona Reaser (Algonkian) can be seen comforting Rivera before briefly conferring with board Chair Jeff Morse (Dulles) and then accompanying the teen out of the room.
“I talked with her just to encourage her to do whatever she felt comfortable doing,” Reaser said. “I wanted her to know that this was her time, and that nobody had the right to take away her voice or her time.”
Angela Rivera, a senior at Park View High School and student representative on the Loudoun County School Board, is shown during a board meeting on Jan. 25, during which she was jeered for comments she made thanking the board for maintaining a mask mandate in Loudoun County Public Schools.
After Rivera left the dais, Morse then allowed the second student representative to provide his remarks before the school board chair addressed the audience, instructing them to show decorum while Rivera is concluding her remarks.
Morse, joined by fellow board member Harris Mahedavi, then left the room to check on Rivera prior to her return.
During a Monday press conference organized by Loudoun4All, Rivera said her remarks were for the School Board and the students, and that’s what’s kept her uplifted after such a tense public meeting. Loudoun4All is an advocacy organization supporting policies and candidates that champion equity.
“It’s not just about me, it’s about the students and our safety,” Rivera said.
The high school senior said she doesn’t want to see her classmates missing school because of COVID-19, which prompted her to speak out.
After the school board meeting last Tuesday, Rivera said she received feedback and encouragement from several members of LCPS staff, Park View High School and the School Board.
Rivera said she also heard from a retired teacher, current teachers and students from multiple high schools.
On Jan. 24, the day before the School Board meeting, adults, parents and students rallied outside of several schools supporting the action by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), supporters referring to the day as “Mask Off Monday.”
Members of the public are shown during the public comment portion of the Jan. 25 school board’s meeting, during which a student school board representative was jeered for comments she made thanking the board for maintaining a mask mandate in Loudoun County Public Schools.
A week after her tumultuous experience on the dais, Rivera urged fellow students to continue speaking and be afraid based on her experience. She said it was important for the public to hear from students in favor of wearing face masks.
“I just think it’s important to know that out of those 200 students that protested that Monday that there are thousands more than those 200 students,” Rivera said.
Rivera said flowers were delivered to her at school by Loudoun County resident Lynn Davis.
Davis, who was at the press conference on Monday said, the flowers were to make sure she was supported and “to make sure you knew that for every one of those jerks on Tuesday, there were 10 other people who support you, and would never do something like that.”
Rasha Saad, president of Loudoun4All, said in a press release Sunday that the group was appalled by the heckling towards the student representative. She said members of the community helped to raise donations for a care package to be given to Rivera.
“To see something like that happen to a student in a public forum, it’s just heartbreaking because that’s not our county,” Saad said. “That doesn’t represent us.”
Rivera said she is thankful for the support she has received. Loudoun4All raised $2,000 for Rivera, which was collected from members of the community over the course of 12 hours. Among the items she received Monday in a gift basket was a gift certificate for her senior photos, a stuffed animal, as well as gift cards.
Rivera said she plans to donate $500 of the money to the student council at Park View High School in Sterling.
She plans to major in social work because she likes helping people, and is deciding on whether to attend George Mason or Northern Virginia Community College.
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