Dupage Policy Journal

Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives is blasting a WBBM report depicting her as being involved in a recent Glen Ellyn District 41 mask protest where students were allegedly targeted and harassed.

“WBBM's report on my involvement in the Glen Ellyn D41 mask protest is slanderous,” Ives told the DuPage Policy Journal. “I am not and never have organized this protest. I support the efforts of the people showing up to fight against the unscientific masking of children.”

Ives also insists she’s personally identified the organizer of the protest several times and “if WBBM did any research at all they would know that. They also did not contact me about their story. I champion and support parents standing up for their rights, but I would never take credit for someone else's organizing efforts to push back against the tyranny in Illinois.”

As the two sides in the mask debate have clashed, Ives said she feels the real story is all the abuse the anti-mask crowd is being subjected to.

“I personally have been to the Glen Ellyn sidewalk protest a few times to record what is happening and have witnessed it myself,” she said.

Ives recently told WGN frustrated anti-masking parents are simply taking a stand for their children in the face of ongoing government overreach.

“We’re standing up for our children, we’re standing up for our individual rights and these people want to be an arm of the government,” she said.

Things also became heated at a recent Glen Ellyn village board meeting, where parents pleaded with elected officials to do something.

“They’re basically calling the children slaves,” said one parent. “One gentleman likes to say, ‘heil Hitler,’ or call them Hitler youth. It’s offensive to me.”

In late August, just before schools across the state were slated to reopen for in-person learning, Gov. J.B. Pritzker reimposed his universal school masking mandate.