The battle over masks took center stage at a Farmingdale School Board meeting that ended with board members abruptly walking out.

Video shows the moment when Farmingdale School Board members walked out of an in-person meeting Wednesday night. Their reaction was sparked by some parents who refused to wear masks at the meeting.

The parents want the district to take action but that would go against state guidelines.

Barbara Abboud, with the group Moms for Liberty, says she put her mask on after being asked to do so even though she thinks mask requirements for kids are doing more harm than good.

"I think it should be a parental choice," says Abboud. "Our children are suffering. They're having mental health issues that I think outweigh the minimal safety that a mask can provide."

The controversial issue has sparked several protests, and some school districts in Nassau and Suffolk have written letters to the governor asking for local control over mask mandates.

The Farmingdale School District says it will continue to require face coverings.

In a statement officials say, "The district recognizes and respects the perspectives that many members of our community have about these regulations. However, the district is obligated to abide by the requirements clearly established by the state health authorities."

Abboud hopes that the district will join in writing to the governor to get the guidelines changed.