Retired Air Force veteran Kristen Meghan Kelly was improperly denied access to her Delta airlines flight in late March because she cannot wear a cloth mask that covers her nose and mouth. Kelly is disabled, suffering from PTSD due to a devastatingly traumatic event, so she can only wear a mouth-shield mask. UncoverDC spoke with Kelly on Friday to hear why she is suing Delta Airlines and STAT-MD for discriminatory practices. The details of the lawsuit are not yet public.
To fly without a mask, Kelly must use a program called "Clearance-to- Fly." In July of 2020, Delta Airlines instituted the procedural program which is a "rigorous exemption process" that accommodates those who have medical reasons for not being able to wear a mask. Per the Delta website, passengers who cannot wear a mask must complete the Clearance-to-Fly process at the airport before every flight. Delta began to require masks for customers and employees "at all touchpoints in airports and onboard its planes" in May 2020.
Delta contracts with STAT-MD, whose doctors provide on-call pre-flight phone interviews with passengers, among other services, to determine the health risks of wearing the masks for the disabled passenger. The assigned doctor then makes the appropriate recommendations to the airline on the spot whether the disabled passenger may board without the required cloth mask. The process requires the passenger to arrive early to allow time to reach a doctor who performs the required assessment.
In Kelly's case, she was asked both in December and in March to relay her medical information to the doctor in a public setting in the Delta boarding area because of this program. She told the agents at the time that she was very uncomfortable with giving her information in a public area where others could easily overhear. She explained to UncoverDC that she wears her hair down on purpose so she "can try to hide [her] face."
Despite having applied for accommodations from the airline through their "Clearance to Fly" exemption, which, indeed, allowed her to board a plane in December—Delta did not allow her to board in March. Biden's Jan. 21 "executive order to promote Covid-19 safety in domestic and international travel" was the reason given for the change of heart by the STAT-MD doctor.
The order clearly states that exceptions may be made according to "applicable law," which means that people with disabilities must be accommodated on airlines. Delta's corporate guidance on masks cannot supersede applicable law either.
Biden EO/Masks/Travel
Since Kelly had familiarized herself with Biden's executive order and Delta's corporate policies, she knew the doctor was incorrect. She asked the gate agent to call Delta's corporate headquarters to verify their policy for the doctor—which the Delta agent did allow. The person from headquarters told the agent that because Kelly's medical status hadn't changed, her exemption still stands. However, the shift manager, Mandell Presley, refused to override the doctor's decision despite guidance from Delta headquarters. Because of all the delays, Kelly and her traveling companion, Tammy Clark, missed their flight and also missed a later flight.
It was a private, non-profit pilot organization that does not wish to be named because of fear of intimidation, that stepped up to fly her to North Dakota—after 5 hours at the airport trying to resolve her issue and suffering what she feels was "public humiliation." Delta headquarters told Kelly that they opened a case file/claim at their corporate headquarters.
Kristen Meghan/Flying to ND
Ironically, Kelly was on her way to testify for two days for a bill about mask mandates, HB1323, that had already passed in the North Dakota state House. The bill was brought forward to create a new section to chapter 23-07 of the North Dakota Century Code, stating that the state and its officials could no longer mandate the wearing of masks in the state.
Kelly missed the scheduled meeting with the senators on the evening of March 30th, but the next day she was able to testify in front of a subcommittee of seven senators. Later that night, she testified at a town hall packed with about 300 people. The town hall was sponsored by Defend North Dakota and Health Freedom North Dakota. Health Freedom North Dakota also has its own Facebook page. Defend North Dakota's page is private.
Flier/ND Town Hall
According to the Grand Forks Herald, the bill passed the Senate on Apr. 12 67-24. The bill will allow "local control," meaning businesses can require masks. The Herald reported that North Dakota is the first state to pass "sweeping prohibition on state-ordered mask requirements." The legislation was a "push-back on compulsory mask-wearing" enacted by Governor Burgum R-ND in November. If the governor decides to veto the bill, it will require a two-thirds majority in each chamber to override it.
Kelly is a Senior Industrial Hygienist with 18 years in the field—which means she is an experienced exposure scientist and no stranger to the dangers of environmental hazards due to viruses. People with her credentials "perform health risk assessments of work environments due to high-risk environmental factors like radiation, chemicals, ergonomics in the workplace, and viruses"—to name just a few. She says the science shows that the spread of a virus, like Covid-19, is in no way hampered by wearing a mask. In fact, she says the millions of dollars spent on safety measures nationwide would have been better spent on HVAC ventilation systems or UV sanitation lights—like the ones mentioned by President Trump in a press conference about a year ago.
The key with microscopic, aerosolized viruses is to provide alternative dilution and destruction—or maximum ventilation and destruction technology. The Centner Academy in Miami implemented state-of-the-art Covid safe technologies in its facility in anticipation of reopening in September, according to reporting by PRNewswire. Kelly confirmed that the technologies the school is implementing are far more effective than masks and social distancing measures. Centner Academy facility upgrades are detailed below:
Center Academy/prnewswire
Kelly's mentor, Stephen Petty, is one of 200 expert engineers/scientists in the country. He is a certified industrial hygienist and chemical engineer. He has been an exposure PPE warnings expert for 20 years. He was recently recruited to testify and advise with the Monsanto Roundup cases.
*In the video below, he speaks about PPE and aerosols:
Essentially, says Petty, cloth masks are completely ineffective barriers against the "micron-sized" virus. PPE is "the least desirable way to protect people," as explained in his hierarchy of controls.
Slide/P. 11/Petty PowerPoint
Cloth masks are not PPE.
Slide/P.12/Petty PowerPoint
Evidence "suggests that Covid-19 particles are mostly small aerosols, not droplets which would mean respirators, not masks [are] needed to protect the lungs and would make the 6' rule effectively meaningless." The CDC released updated guidelines for schools in March of 2021. Among the updates was a reduction in social-distancing guidelines from six feet to three. Aerosols can remain suspended for days, not hours. Those particles can reach deep parts of the lungs due to their size.
Slide/P. 18/Petty PowerPoint
In addition to increasing fresh airflow in buildings (dilution), Petty also suggests placing a small device to the intake fans on HVAC systems, called "iwaveair." The device provides needlepoint ionization technology that effectively annihilates (destruction) with 99% effectivity, viruses, mold, and bacteria. The device is about $400.
On Thursday afternoon, Kelly appeared in an emotional video that documented her encounter with Hudsonville School superintendent Doug VanderJagt and a teacher before entering a school board meeting. Kelly was there to provide evidence to the board and the community about the efficacy of wearing masks and alternative measures to keep students and staff Covid-safe.
However, Kelly and several other parents were not allowed to enter the building allegedly because they were not wearing masks. Kelly calmly explained her reason for being unable to comply but became noticeably distraught when confronted by the superintendent and, then, when ridiculed and "publicly humiliated" by the teacher. The teacher is heard mocking and laughing at Kelly when she speaks about her credentials.
The video below speaks for itself.
Kelly has been a tireless expert advocate for months for dilution and destruction control measures all across the country. She has testified in numerous states, all on her own dime. She has been involved in the Health Freedom Movement for 11 years. While she has been medically retired from the field for some time now, her mission is to help others who do not have her expertise. Her Health Freedom Movement Facebook page had about 58,000 followers before it was abruptly removed without warning or explanation on August 19, 2020.
Kelly, who is usually on the giving end of help, is now asking for help to set a legal precedent that will help "all Americans and their rights to not be discriminated against and be able to travel, freely."
The Health Freedom Movement is not new. It is a libertarian coalition aligned with beliefs held by Ron Paul and the John Birch Society. Paul introduced Health Freedom Protection Act in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2005. The movement has gained noticeable traction because of what many see as draconian government overreach on health matters due to the pandemic—like the recent discussion of vaccine passports. The "perils of deference" were discussed in a recent UncoverDC article by Stu Cvrk.
Those involved in the movement advocate for freedom of choice rather than the government-based regulation of health practices. Self-professed Democrat and feminist Naomi Wolf issued a stunning statement on the dangers of implementing vaccine passports at the end of March seen below:
The Barrington Declaration is another outgrowth of the movement away from government dictates like lockdowns, mandated mask-wearing, and vaccines. Many doctors have been harassed or lost their license to practice in the last year, including Simone Gold and Oregon doctor Steven LaTulippe. Dr. Gold founded America's Frontline Doctors because she believes the facts about the virus are not being told.
Kelly relies on evidence and professional experience when advocating for dilution and destruction controls rather than masks to control the spread of the Covid-19 virus. She recommends referencing the Green Med Info website for evidence-based abstracts on the efficacy of masks. She also recommends several government sources for research on the topic, including information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The evidence discussed in a November 2020 NIH article concludes that data "suggest that both medical and non-medical facemasks are ineffective to block human-to-human transmission of viral and infectious disease such SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, supporting against the usage of facemasks," and that masks cause "substantial adverse physiological and psychological effects."
The following text is directly captured from the conclusion of the NIH article referenced above. It provides a summary of "scientific evidence[s] with respect to wearing facemasks in the COVID-19 era, providing pro[s]per information for public health and decision[s] making."
Conclusion/ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
*please note that the Dr. Petty video above has been replaced due to censorship on the original video provided.
