Add as a preferred source on Google

Teen Who Was Suspended Over Mask Mandate Arrested on Trespassing Charges

  • By Matt Jones
  • 10/14/21

A Wyoming high-school student was arrested and led away from her school in handcuffs on Thursday, Oct. 7. Grace Smith, a 16-year-old junior at Laramie High School in Laramie, Wyo., said in an interview that she was arrested for trespassing. She had previously received a suspension for refusing to follow the school’s mask mandate, and the incident occurred when she refused to leave school grounds.

The teenager recorded video of police placing her in handcuffs, which her father posted to social media. The video shows polite, pleasant interactions between Smith and the officers.

Smith says that she has been suspended three times (for two days each) over the mask issue and has racked up $1,000 in trespassing fines for refusing to leave campus afterward. Smith told media that she has the right to be at school and continue her education.

“When asked if they’re arresting her for [not wearing] her mask, they’ll say, ‘No, we’re arresting her for her violation of failure to comply in accordance with their trespassing ordinance,’” said the girl’s father, Andy Smith.

Fox News quotes the teen as calling herself a “straight-A student” who has “never broken the law.”

“I would never choose to do anything wrong, and I never saw myself sitting in the back of a cop car, handcuffed,” she said.

The school was placed on a brief lockdown following Smith’s arrest to “prevent further interruptions to academic learning,” according to a school statement. The district declined to provide information on how many students have been suspended for refusing to wear masks, saying that it doesn’t comment on matters of student discipline.

“It’s because I’m growing up in a country where I’m supposed to have my God-given rights to protect, and they’re being taken away,” she said in an interview with the local paper. “Everybody has the freedom to wear a mask if they choose, but I believe everybody also has the right to not wear a mask if they choose.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning and Campus Security and Life Safety. He can be reached at [email protected]

Featured

  • concentric silhouettes of a human head

    How Physical Space Shapes the Mind: Designing for Better Learning Outcomes

    Research in environmental psychology and neuroscience increasingly suggests that the way a room is designed can influence memory, focus, or even a student's sense of belonging.

  • textured paper collage shows a school building on fire as a fire truck sprays water into the flames

    Why a Fire Loss Is More than Flames

    We've all seen what fire damage can do to a property, but the types of damage building owners often encounter after a fire loss can exceed expectations. Having full awareness of the different forms of damage properties can sustain helps owners respond faster, reduce continued damage, and get back on the road to recovery in short order.

  • Texas State University Completes Stadium Renovations

    Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, recently announced that it has completed a series of additions and renovations to its football stadium, according to a news release. Formerly known as the Bobcat Stadium End Zone Complex, the Johnny and Nathali Weisman Football Performance Center is an 85,000-square-foot expansion featuring hospitality spaces, banquet spaces, exterior concourses, and upgrades to the field house.

  • Illinois District Boosts Security at High-School Stadium

    Richmond-Burton Community High School in Richmond, Ill., recently announced that it has completed the redesigned entrance to its high school stadium with a new focus on school security and community engagement, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects and Engineers on the project as part of District #157’s year-long facilities master plan.

Digital Edition