Parents in Santa Monica were concerned the local school district would be drawing blood from their children. The SMMUSD says that was never the case.
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is making national headlines again.
Fox News is reporting that SMMUSD sent out a letter to parents asking for what appeared to be consent to draw blood from students as part of mandated COVID testing.
The original form read: “I authorize this COVID-19 testing unit to conduct collection and testing for COVID-19 through a saliva collection, nasopharyngeal swab, anterior nares swab or blood draw, as ordered by an authorized medical provider or public health official.”
>> RELATED: SMMUSD Boss Tested Positive For COVID-19
The notice, signed by Superintendent Dr. Ben Drati, also indicated that students refusing too be tested “will be sent home and will not be permitted until school authorities are satisfied that any contagious or infectious disease does not exist.”
Within hours, angry parents including Dr. Houman David Hemmati, began pushing back.
“Local school boards are trying to act like mini public health departments, going far beyond federal, state, and even county health mandates to conduct mandatory asymptomatic testing and other requirements that are not supported by the clinical evidence or any governmental mandates,” he told the network.
“There is a real concern that going on a massive fishing expedition searching for positive cases among a sea of asymptomatic school kids and faculty will lead to unnecessary panic and academic disruptions.”
District spokesperson Gail Pinsker told Fox the wording was an “oversight” and there were never plans to draw blood from students.
“The language was removed as soon as we became aware of concerns over the language included, provided by our testing partners,” she said.
“Everything we communicated to parents about our testing is accurate – utilizing a shallow nasal swab, that parents support using. Unfortunately, blood draw was in the consent form. This was an oversight and now fixed.”
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