Clemson professors’ walkout turns into a teach-in as university requires masks

A dozen or so Clemson University professors staked out a spot on Bowman Field in the heart of campus Wednesday to hand out masks to students passing by who either forgot theirs or who didn’t know the university had decided to require masks after all.

Clemson administrators issued the mask mandate Tuesday night after the state Supreme Court decided Tuesday that the General Assembly proviso against mask mandates did not prevent colleges from imposing one.

Initially, Clemson professors were planning to walk out of their classrooms in protest Wednesday to try to get the administration’s attention that they believe masks are crucial to ensuring safety from COVID-19 on campus.

Kimberly Paul, a genetics associate professor who planned the walkout, said her group wants the university to extend the three-week mask mandate to the end of the semester.

She said they also want to plan some sort of opportunity to educate people about the importance of masking and vaccines.

“There’s a lot of misinformation out there about COVID-19, and as educators we can start those important conversations” she said..

This story was originally published August 18, 2021 at 12:58 PM.