LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va.—Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) is reverting to segregation-era style policies by treating masked and unmasked students differently, parents whose children chose not to wear a mask to school this week argued at a school board meeting on Jan. 25. The mask mandate has been a contentious issue between parents and the school board in Loudoun County over the past two years, with the topic consistently mentioned during public comment at school board meetings. It has, however, escalated to a whole new level since the new Republican Virginia governor took office on Jan. 15.  On his first day in office, Governor Glenn Youngkin signed an executive order (pdf) that removed the mask mandate in schools, leaving students’ mask-wearing to be determined by parents. The order took effect on Jan. 24, however, on Jan. 18, the Loudoun County school board voted 8-1 to keep the mask mandate. Students who …