Anti-maskers start laughing at teen after he tells school board his grandmother died from COVID-19

A group of anti-maskers started openly laughing at a high school student this week after he told the Rutherford County, Tennessee school board about his grandmother dying from COVID-19.

Local news station WSMV reports that that high school junior Grady Knox appeared at a Rutherford County school board meeting to speak out in favor of a schoolwide mask mandate to protect students and staff from the novel coronavirus.

"This time last year, my grandmother, who was a former teacher at the Rutherford County school system, died of Covid because someone wasn't wearing a mask," he said.

At this point, several people in the audience began jeering him, including a woman sitting directly behind him who started openly laughing at him.

After the room settled down, Knox continued with his plea.

"This is an avoidable issue and, by not wearing masks in schools, it's irresponsible," he said.

Afterward, Knox told WSMV that he was shocked that talking about his grandmother's death drew derisive jeers.

"It was complete insanity from my perspective," he said. "If they laugh at me about a personal story about my grandmother, that's just disrespectful, I feel. So, I was like shaken a little bit."

School board member Claire Maxwell was quick to condemn the people who laughed at Knox.

"We all wholeheartedly, all seven of us, were ashamed about what happened and we want to make sure nothing like that ever happens again," she said.

Watch the video below.

Student mocked by adults for sharing his personal Covid-19 experience at school board meetingwww.youtube.com