Dr. Theresa Chapple | Oak Park Health Department
Dr. Theresa Chapple | Oak Park Health Department
Oak Park is holding fast to its local mask mandate in schools despite Gov. J.B. Prtizker’s statewide mandate being ruled unconstitutional.
Oak Park Public Health Director Theresa Chapple did not acknowledge a request for comment on the matter from West Cook News.
Her silence comes in the face of River Forest District 90 noting it would continue to mask students, a move critics are saying is illegal in the wake of Prtizker’s loss.
Chapple has been a polarizing figure over the course of the pandemic in Oak Park.
The decision to cancel all extracurricular events at Oak Park and River Forest High Schools last fall was made by Chapple. She received heavy criticism from parents who protested her decision, saying it was not based in science or logic.
She was later rumored to be under investigation for improperly revealing details about children she claimed to have vaccinated. Chapple did not respond to inquiries regarding that investigation either.
Chapple has the right to decide whether schools or companies within the Oak Park village boundaries can remain open or must close. That came after the village board increased her "emergency regulatory power” to include this capability.
Chapple said in an email after Pritzker’s mask mandate was ruled illegal that masking policy is up to individual schools but it is unclear if this still is the case given that masking has been ruled illegal to enforce in schools.
A bill introduced by state Rep. Deb Conroy (D-VIlla Park) would allow local health officials like Chapple to enforce quarantine on the unvaccinated.
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