Florida high school science teacher fired for refusing to wear a mask

A Florida high school science teacher was fired last week for gross insubordination after he refused to wear a mask following a unanimous vote by the Broward County School Board. 

According to an administrative complaint, Piper High School science teacher John C. Alvarez stopped wearing a mask in March 2021. He was assigned to work from home in August 2021. When the school required Alvarez in September to teach in person, he came in without a mask.

"I do not consent to being forced to wear a mask," he wrote in a letter to school administrators. 

According to Newsmax, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw said: "Gov. DeSantis has said clearly that he’s opposed to mask mandates of any kind. It is ironic that the same politicians who express concerns over a teacher shortage in Broward are willing to fire teachers for not covering their faces."

While Desantis has prohibited student mask mandates, the law does not apply to school faculty members, The Associated Press reports. 

Broward County School Board has required masks in school most of the year. This has led to a legal dispute between the school board and the DeSantis administration. 

Alvarez reportedly plans on appealing the board's termination in court.