OAKDALE, Calif. — After three days of protests against the state's mask mandate for school students last week, it was a far more peaceful return to the classroom Monday in Oakdale.
The Oakdale Joint Unified School District (OJUSD) reported that there were a few dozen students who were defiant towards the mandate by not wearing a mask.
Those students were sent to alternative sites on each campus like the cafeteria.
"If you want to voice your concern, I think you have every right. But, I think we need to understand that this is a state mandate. You need to let the state know," said OJUSD Superintendent Dave Kline.
Kline says while some have protested peacefully, others have become rude, disrespectful and, in some cases, even threatening.
"There was a father who was verbally assaultive to the vice principal and the principal and other members of the high school to which we were following up with the police we were so concerned," Kline added.
RELATED: Maskless students at Oakdale schools won't be allowed in classroom on Monday, district says
Furthermore, the district says it is "legally bound to uphold the mandate" and "schools must comply with orders and guidance issued by the California Department of Public Health and relevant local health departments."
"If you're not going to wear a mask, we can't have you in the classroom," said Kline.
Parents are very much divided over the mask requirement in schools.
Brytnii Roman, a mother of three elementary school students, says she has protested the mandate and stands by her belief that masks in the classroom are unnecessary.
"I feel like it's child abuse. I feel like our mask mandate went down everywhere here in town. We don't, as adults, don't have to wear it when we go grocery shopping," Roman said.
Other parents like Jackie French, who has two elementary students in the district, is all for the mask mandate.
She had a pointed message for parents who choose to ignore the state's mask guidelines
"Then I say keep your kids home. That's your choice," French said.
Monday night's scheduled school board meeting was also canceled due to safety concerns.
WATCH ALSO: