A high school student showed up to campus wearing a full hazmat suit so he could take his final exams. Mason Kalkofen has been learning remotely during the coronavirus pandemic, but the Spring Branch Independent School District required all students to take their finals on campus, where a proctor was present.
Kalkofen's family asked the school district for an exemption because Mason's mother is considered high-risk for developing severe complications from COVID-19. They said they were concerned due to the number of people who have tested positive at the school.
"I don't want to get sick," Margarita Kalkofen told KTRK. "I don't want to end up in a hospital. I don't want my husband to end up in the hospital because the school district doesn't care."
When the school district refused to make an exception for Mason, he decided to show up in a hazmat suit.
"I'm having to go in a hazmat suit," Mason told the news station. "That way, I can protect my family."
The school issued a statement saying that students had to take their finals on campus to ensure the "academic integrity" of the tests.
"In this regard, we agree with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) guidance allowing districts to require students to come on campus to complete required assessments that play a significant role in determining class rank, or as required for graduation or grade-level promotion, where it cannot be reasonable and equitably administered remotely," the district said in a statement.
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