Teen Who Was Suspended Over Mask Mandate Arrested on Trespassing Charges

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

  • Three U.S. Universities Install Acre Security Access Control Platform

    Cloud-native physical and digital security solutions company Acre Security recently announced that it has deployed its access control platform at three major universities in the U.S., according to a news release. Acre partnered with Atrium Campus to provide coverage for more than 69,000 students at the University of Virginia (UVA), George Mason University, and Rockhurst University.

  • University of Kansas Opens $400M Football Stadium Reconstruction

    The University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., recently announced that the $400-million reconstruction of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is complete in time for the 2025 football season, according to a news release. The university partnered with Turner Construction Company on the project.

  • Kenall Introduces Millenium Flair Series

    In a move aimed at modernizing institutional lighting without compromising on durability or performance, Kenall has launched its new Millenium Flair series, according to the Kenall website.

  • K–12 Safety Trends Report Reveals Reliance on Training, Technology

    Wearable safety technology provider CENTEGIX recently released its 2025 School Safety Trends Report, according to a news release. The report is based on more than 265,000 incidents during the 2024–25 school year as reported through the CENTEGIX Safety Platform, used by more than 800 school districts across the U.S.

Digital Edition