North Paulding High School in Paulding County, Georgia gained national attention after a student posted an image of mask-less students in a packed hallway.
The student who posted the image has reportedly been suspended, according to WSB-TV.
After the photo went viral, school officials faced criticism over how it handled the re-opening of the school, as it appeared that students were not forced to practice social distancing in the midst of a pandemic.
To prevent further exposure to what kids are enduring, an announcement was made at North Paulding High School, which stated that the school district will punish students who share pictures of the school.
“Some individuals on social media are taking this photo and using it without context to criticize our school reopening efforts. Under the COVID-19 protocols we have adopted, class changes that look like this may happen, especially at a high school with more than 2,000 students,” Paulding Superintendent Brian Otott said in a statement.
However, some students continue to use social media as a way to provide insight into what is occurring inside the schools.
“I am a student at North Paulding High School. If I speak out against the school, I will get suspended or expelled. I need the press to expose my principal for what he’s doing,” one student posted on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/zachpar83639221/status/1291356605196513285?s=21
The reopening of schools has remained a hot-button issue as the current presidential administration has called for in-person learning without providing an overall plan to ensure the safety of students, teachers, faculty and families.
According to the latest numbers reported by The New York Times on Aug. 6, more than 4.8 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 and 159,055 have died.
