Sep 1, 2021 - COVID

Dozens of families seek mask exemption forms from Sarasota County chiropractor

Selene San Felice

Illustration of a covid mask with a hole in the shape of a gavel. — Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

A self-described "pro-freedom, pro-choice" chiropractor in Venice is allegedly signing a remarkable number of forms that exempt kids from wearing masks to Sarasota County public schools.

So many forms, in fact, that WFLA found a 100-deep line of maskless parents and kids outside the spine doctor’s strip-mall office on Monday, when the district’s new mask policy went into effect.

The backdrop: The district’s new policy requires students to wear masks to school unless they provide a form signed by a health care provider certifying that the person "has a medical, physical or psychological contraindication" that prevents safe use.

The form does not ask the health care provider to specify which ailment prevents the person from wearing a mask.

State of play: One parent said she went to investigate for herself after hearing Twin Palms Chiropractic was offering signed forms to anyone.

"Nobody asked to see our children. The forms were pre-signed, there was a stack behind the counter and they were just passed out," the woman told WFLA.

The other side: "The parent and child come in, we evaluate what their conditions are, see if they have a valid legitimate condition that would warrant a mask exemption," the chiropractor, Dr. Dan Busch, told ABC7. "If they do not, they have to go on their way."

Worth noting: The district is scrutinizing suspicious forms.

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Dozens of families seek mask exemption forms from Sarasota County chiropractor

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