A Pulaski County Christian day care and elementary school has shut its doors because of COVID-19 safety restrictions.
Fairlawn Christian Academy and Little Lambs Christian Dayschool closed as of Wednesday, according to a recorded message. The closure is due to changes in Gov. Ralph Northam’s executive orders, the message said.
The day school’s food service permit was suspended on Wednesday “due to employees in the establishment not wearing masks, employees in the establishment not following social distancing guidelines and an employee known to be positive for COVID-19 who was not excluded from work,” according to a statement from Dr. Noelle Bissell, director of the New River Health District.
The suspension was triggered following five complaints to the health department and an on-site inspection by district staff, according to Bissell.
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According to one of those complaints, employees were told not to wear masks.
The academy, which served K-8th grade began offering classes in 2002 with five kindergarten students, according to its website. It and the affiliated daycare are ministries of the Sure Foundation Christian Fellowship in Radford.
Fellowship Pastor Stephen Phillips and others listed as school staff on the ministry’s website, including Patrice Phillips did not return several messages seeking comment Thursday.
According to a health district inspection report, the Phillipses refused to don face coverings during an inspection and said all other facility staff would also refuse. None of the children in the facility were wearing face coverings, either, the report stated.
Patrice Phillips told district staff that “wearing masks has an adverse effect on the children,” according to the report.
A teacher at the facility was confirmed to have tested positive for the novel coronavirus but continued to come to work and did not social distance or wear a face covering, according to district records.
Patrice Phillips told district staff that she “did not believe the teacher that tested positive was within 6 feet of anyone for more than 15 minutes.”
The academy and day school had an enrollment of about 80 in 2017, according to a Virginia Department of Education administrative review report.