Mask Mandates Remain Contentious in Bucks County

DOYLESTOWN, PA — The Bucks County Board of Commissioners held their bi-monthly meeting in Doylestown yesterday, which ended with public comments from two local women who voiced their frustration with Bucks County mask mandates and health measures for children.

At the end of the meeting, the Board brought up two people who wished to make brief public comments. Each person received two minutes for their comments.

Megan Brock, a local photographer from Northampton, accused the Commissioners of overstepping their boundaries in regards to past and current mask and health mandates for both children and adults throughout Bucks County.

Her statement mentioned Dr. David Damsker, director of the Bucks County Health Department, who has faced criticism for his stances on school reopenings, most notably from the Pa. health secretary, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"I'm going to start with a question: why have you taken over the health department by silencing Dr. Damsker, and what qualifies you to do so?" Brock said.

The rest of Brock's comments quoted emails she says are from Dr. Damsker, which alleges that the commissioners, along with President Judge Wallace H .Bateman, mandated masking of all county and court employees, as well as visitors.

Brock has become well-known in the Bucks County region for her vocal opposition to mask and health mandates, as she regularly speaks at public meetings and has written a guest opinion article for the Bucks County Courier Times regarding her stance on the issues.

Brock's comments ended when she ran out of time and the microphone was cut as she asked for an additional 10 seconds to speak.

She gave the remainder of her statement to the next speaker, Jamie Walker, who continued Brock's reading of an Aug. 23 email she got from the State Department of Health regarding local health mandates, which was sent to Vice Chair Robert J. Harvie, Jr.

Walker has also become well-known for her stances on public mandates in Bucks County, attending various debates and and public meetings, as well as voicing her opinions and arguments on websites like Broad and Liberty.

Walker says she saw Dr. Scott Levy, Chief Medical Officer of Doylestown Health, with a school board candidate at a school board meeting she attended on Aug. 31. She said she takes this as him having a political bias in regards to mask mandates.

"Why is he involved in my kid's school again?" Walker asked. "Why did you let this happen?"

Walker read emails between Dr. Levy and Dr. Damsker she claims she accidentally received in a Right-To-Know request. Her microphone was also cut when she ran out of time. Walker continued to talk as the meeting was adjourned.