Witness Testimony

Kassandra Murray, a Grade 1–2 teacher with over 20 years of experience, testified about her experience teaching in a Halifax private school during COVID-19 protocols. She stated that after receiving a physician-issued mask exemption, she was segregated from colleagues, restricted from shared staff spaces, and required to observe heightened distancing measures. She described a workplace environment she characterized as hostile and discriminatory, ultimately leading to her resignation when the school refused to continue honoring her exemption and proposed alternative protective equipment she declined to use. Murray also testified about observed impacts of pandemic protocols on young children, including learning delays, reduced social interaction, fear-based classroom messaging, excessive sanitizer use resulting in skin burns, and what she described as sensory and emotional developmental concerns. She stated that faculty meetings focused largely on enforcing public health protocols rather than mitigating educational or psychological effects on students.