Parents Rally Over Oakland County School Mask Mandate

(CBS DETROIT) - A group of angry parents says they're fighting for their children's rights, and forcing kids to wear masks is an over-reach.

On Tuesday, Aug. 24, the Oakland County Health Division issued a mandatory mask policy for schools.

The emergency order states that proper masking is the most effective mitigation strategy for preventing secondary transmission in schools when COVID-19 is circulating.

On Wednesday, Aug. 25, hundreds of parents and supporters stormed the North Oakland Health Center in Pontiac, pushing for county officials to drop the mask mandate.

Aimee Lloyd is a parent in the Brandon School District.

She says families should have the freedom to choose, and county officials need to respect the parents' decisions.

"I think at the end of the day, no matter what side we are on, we all want the same thing for our families," said Lloyd. "We want them safe. We want them happy. We may go about it differently, but right now, we're all trying to navigate this the best we can."

The new order affects more than 210,000 students in 28 districts.

© 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.