North Penn officials say photo shows teacher taping mask to student's face

North Penn School District is responding to a photo circulating social media that appears to show a teacher taping a mask to a student's face. The district says 'no malice was intended' and that the teacher's actions were 'unacceptable.'

LANSDALE, Pa. - A Montgomery County school district is responding to a photo they say showed a school employee taping a mask to a student's face.

North Penn School District has released a statement in response to the photo and confirmed the incident occurred in one of their schools. They say the photo was taken last week, though it is unknown who took the photo or how it made its way to social media.

The district has also not confirmed which one of their schools the incident occurred in, but parents tell FOX 29 it happened at Pennfield Middle School.

In their statement, the district says the photo does not represent the district's universal values they strive to instill in students and staff.

School officials say the incident was immediately investigated, adding that it was an isolated incident and "no malice was intended."

"The actions of the teacher were entirely inappropriate and unacceptable, no matter the context," the statement reads. "We understand the act of taping a mask to a student's face is concerning to many and apologize that it occurred."

District parents made their voices heard on the matter at a regularly scheduled school board meeting Thursday night.

The school board apologized for the incident and also read a statement from the mother of the student in the photo that was published by NorthPennNow.com.

FOX 29's Jennifer Joyce spoke with a district parent who runs the 'North Penn Stronger Together' Facebook page. She says the picture was originally posted in the group to rally support and call on the district to act.

While she says she did not expect it to go viral, she does understand why it impacted so many people.

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The district says the matter is being addressed with the employee, but all personnel and student matters are confidential and no further information could be provided.

According to an update on the district's website from November, masks are required to be worn by students, staff, and school visitors while indoors ‘during high levels of community transmission.’

You can read the district's full statement below:

"An image taken in one of our classrooms last week and circulating on social media does not represent the universal values that the North Penn School District strives to instill in both our students and staff. After an immediate investigation, it was determined that while the incident was isolated and no malice was intended, the actions of the teacher were entirely inappropriate and unacceptable, no matter the context. We understand that the act of taping a mask to a student’s face is concerning to many and apologize that it occurred. The matter is serious and it is being addressed with the employee. However, all personnel and student matters are confidential and no further information can be provided."