'We Want to See Your Smile'—Anti-Mask Flyers Handed Out to Children Investigated by Police

Children at an elementary school in Iowa have been targeted with anti-mask flyers, reportedly handed out by a parent opposed to the district's new mask mandate.

According to the Des Moines Register, Beaver Creek Elementary School principal Eric Toot emailed parents last week to confirm that a parent had been seen putting purple flyers in students' backpacks last Thursday.

The email stated that the flyers featured a header that read: "We want to see your smile," and went on to tell pupils "If you don't want to wear a mask, please ask your parents to write the school board and tell them how you feel."

The flyer also included the email addresses of the entire Johnston School Board.

Toot said he had been contacted by "several families" over the flyers and was keen to stress they were not created or endorsed by anyone at the school or anyone representing the school district.

Johnston Community School District officials told the news outlet that they are now working "to the fullest extent possible" with police to try and track down the culprit.

In the meantime, staff have been instructed to throw away the flyers.

The anti-mask protest comes after the Johnston Board of Education voted to implement a PreK-12 mask mandate during a special board meeting on Tuesday, September 21.

From Thursday, September 23, students, staff and visitors across the district will be required to wear masks indoors during instructional hours.

The announcement has been met with some vocal resistance, including on Facebook where several people made their feelings clear on a Johnston Community School District post explaining that masks are also mandatory for pupils traveling on buses.

"It's shocking how few people are affected but they want to enforce this on thousands of students and staff," Jenny Berg wrote under the post. "Nobody is getting sick and we've been in school long enough to know."

Eilise Caitlin Murray also commented: "Everyone shouldn't have to wear a mask because there won't be anyone who is sick on the bus. Also what if it's a special need person who can't breathe with one on."

Myno Nok echoed the phrasing of Beaver Creek Elementary school flyer writing: "Well, I'm glad to see the exemption forms worked for the kids and their drivers. I love to see those smiles every morning."

William East, meanwhile, urged parents to "Take your kids out of school and refuse to pay taxes. If they aren't going to educate the children and are going to muzzle your kids, resist."

Newsweek has contacted the Johnston Board of Education for comment.

The anti-mask protest comes just a couple of months after a plane was spotted flying over an Ohio school with a message protesting against the introduction of a similar mandate.

Chaotic scenes have also been witnessed at several special school board meetings held to discuss and vote on the introduction of mask mandates.

In one instance, a dad took to the lectern in a hazmat suit to speak out in opposition to masks in schools while another viral clip saw an angry mother ranting against Bill Gates in reaction to plans for the introduction of a mandate.