WATERVILLE — The superintendent at a private Christian school who has referred to restrictions meant to stop the spread of COVID-19 as “twisted and sick” has tested positive for the disease, along with his wife.
Kevin Wood, superintendent at Temple Academy at 60 West River Road, and his wife, Kim, are recovering at their home.
Denise Lafountain, the head of school, returned Monday to Temple Academy after having been sick with COVID-19.
The school enrolls about 200 students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Kim Wood runs a day care center in Oakland, where several children tested positive but were asymptomatic, according to her Facebook page. She confirmed Monday by telephone she and her husband are recovering from COVID-19, but said neither wanted to comment.
She posted to social media last week she was having a monoclonal antibody infusion for the treatment of COVID-19. Monoclonal antibodies are given intravenously to patients diagnosed with COVID-19. The therapy uses COVID-19 antibodies to help patients’ bodies fight off the infection.
Lafountain has described on her Facebook page her struggles with the coronavirus and said her son also was sick with the disease. She declined to answer when reached Monday about whether the school has had other COVID-19 cases or whether it has had to move to remote learning.
Temple Academy Superintendent Kevin Wood stood last year in the Waterville school’s gymnasium and multipurpose area. Wood, who has criticized those who support COVID-19 restrictions, has tested positive for the disease. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel
She said the school is following guidelines set by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We’re good,” Lafountain said. “I’m not going to do that (comment). Sorry. I have students to protect. Everything is good here at the academy. We’re super excited to be in session five days a week. People are healthy.”
She declined to speak to her own experience with COVID-19.
“I’m not elaborating on that,” she said.
Lafountain did not respond later Monday when contacted by telephone and email about whether students and staff members at the school are wearing masks when inside.
She posted earlier in September that Temple Academy’s annual back-to-school barbecue, scheduled for Sept. 18, had been postponed until Oct. 9 “due to COVID issues.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the Maine CDC have recommended schools with students in prekindergarten through 12th grade require masks be worn indoors, irrespective of whether one is vaccinated. The Maine Department of Education has urged all schools to follow those recommendations.
Like public schools in Maine, private schools are required to report positive cases of COVID-19 to the state. A state site that lists every Maine school with reported cases does not have a listing for Temple Academy.
Kevin Wood has posted several messages on his Facebook page expressing opposition to following COVID-19 guidelines.
One post from August 2020 read, “Stop complying with this nonsense that is robbing you of your joy.”
He went on to write in the post: “When you comply, you teach your children this is ok. It is not. It’s not ok. Keeping kids from school, gymnastics, karate, dance, athletics … for what? To protect a few elderly adults … with a minuscule chance they die? Really?”
He said people who support the guidelines set by public health experts are the same as those who “would push a child in front of harm’s way to save themselves. Twisted and sick!”
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