Prairie State Wire

Shannon Adcock is calling for the immediate resignation of Dr. Carmen Ayala, the commissioner of the Illinois State Board of Education.  

Adcock is the president of Awake IL, a non-profit social welfare organization.  

"Carmen Ayala should resign, as should every member on the board who did not fight for children and lawful due process the last two years who all waged war on our children," Adcock told Prairie State Wire. "They should all be gone, every one of them. Other than that, they're doing great." 

Adcock was at the Illinois State Board of Education's April 20 meeting where she provided other commentary and reminded the board that she had warned them their actions masking children and requiring vaccines were unconstitutional.  

"On June 16, 2021, I provided public comment to this board regarding government overreach and unlawful coercion preparation by Dr. Ayala and intergovernmental representative, yet you refused to comply with administrative rules set by the General Assembly," Adcock said during public comment. "We spent the summer of 2021 encouraging you, numerous state officials, and schools with the 'Return to Normal Campaign.' Letters were sent to legislators, superintendents, Catholic leaders, the governor, and state officials. We never received one response."  

Adcock underscored the effort of her organization and concerned people on the matter and said that "all remained silent" while "parents and Awake Illinois members remained vigilant."

"Hundreds and hundreds of employees have revealed the scale of ineptitude and malfeasance to which you all here are party," she continued. "I'd like to thank the Illinois citizens who are working tirelessly to fight the corruption. Regular people like Princeton who just spoke, who get paid nothing for their efforts, but do it because they have the moral courage, not simply by this board or state leaders. With two years of failed pandemic policies in a business school report card, classroom activism, socialism is replacing academics and worries the mental health stance of our youth. A sleeping giant has awaken and we go by 'mom' and 'dad.' I'm not here to ask you for anything. To work together takes mutual respect. The war you are waging on our children has proven to be unlawful, and I argue it is evil." 

Greenville-based attorney Tom DeVore, GOP candidate for attorney general, was behind the lawsuit to end mask mandates in schools. Emphasizing his reasons, DeVore told South Central Reporter that "it's important for people to understand it doesn't mean anti-mask, anti-mitigation type of stuff. That just means that if we're going to do these things, if they're done properly through the legislature, and not the executive trying to force them on everybody with intimidation tactics." A judge in his case declared masking unconstitutional per Adcock’s prior stance.

Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago, had strengthened the mask requirements in schools requiring students to wear masks at outdoor recess just before the mandates were overturned.