North Carolina GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn on Thursday spoke against a school mask mandate during a school boarding meeting, equating it to child abuse.

Cawthorn was among those who showed up to protest the Buncombe County Schools Board of Education’s decision to put a mask requirement in place for the upcoming school year. The measure, passed Thursday morning in a 4-2 vote, stipulates that face coverings must be worn by all staff and students K-12 while inside, notes WLOS 13.

The congressman told school officials they have “muzzled” children and the voices of the parents who are against the mandate, many of whom were present at the meeting. The mask mandate is “nothing short of psychological child abuse,” he added, telling the school board members that they should be ashamed of themselves, according to a reporter for WLOS 13.