Marin Parents Accused Of Flouting Health Order On DA’s Radar

MARIN COUNTY, CA — Marin’s District Attorney issued a statement Wednesday in connection with the parents who according to district officials knowingly sent their COVID-19 infected child to a Corte Madera school last month.

Lori E. Frugoli didn’t say much other than that her office is aware of the case that has made national headlines, citing ethical obligations not to publicly discuss details of a case that has not yet been adjudicated.

The Neil Cummins Elementary School parents at the center of the firestorm, who have not yet been identified, were notified by county officials the week of Nov. 8 that the child tested positive and were told to keep the child and their sibling at home, The Marin Independent Journal reports.

The K-5 school subsequently experienced an outbreak involving eight known cases, of which three are suspected of being school-based transmissions, Larkspur-Corte Madera School District Superintendent Brett Geithman said in a newsletter.

Also, nearly 75 additional students were placed on modified quarantine for Thanksgiving break, resulting in the cancellation of some family gatherings, Geithman said.

“We are aware of a potential violation of a health order at Neil Cummins Elementary School in Corte Madera,” Frugoli said.

“At this point, law enforcement authorities are working on the case and when their investigation is finished, they will submit it to my office. We will then review it to see whether any laws were violated.”

The Corte Madera school enrolls 597, and the district serves 1,533 students.

Frugoli stressed that her office is legally bound to make sure it can prove beyond a reasonable doubt a law was broken “before proceeding forward.”

“This could take some time, so I am urging everyone to have patience. Justice is designed to seek the truth and cannot be hurried,” she said.

The parents continued sending the children in school the next two weeks, the report said.

"Marin County Public Health has been given the details regarding this case and LCMSD will be taking corrective action," Geithman said.

"While I cannot disclose the details of what action will be pursued, please know we take the safety of our students and staff with the utmost seriousness."

The infected child's sibling later tested positive, too, The Associated Press reports.

"What I've heard from other parents is that they are definitely frustrated and there definitely was anger at the family that made this poor, or this lack of, judgment," Geithman told KQED.

Marin Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis told The Associated Press that a decision is expected to be made early this week on whether any official action will be taken against the parents in connection with the alleged protocol violation.

"It's a violation of the law that we've put in place," Willis said. "More importantly, it's also a violation of just basic ethics of community responsibility."

The outbreak has made headlines in The Daily Beast and Forbes, among others.

"Our enforcement team is evaluating the circumstances and will respond accordingly," the Marin County Public Health Department said in a statement.

"Thankfully, this is the only known occurrence of a household knowingly sending a COVID-19-positive student to school."