Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis invited a second grader who was suspended for not wearing a mask to speak at his bill signing ceremony Thursday.

DeSantis helped Fiona up to the podium and asked her to tell the audience her story.

“I wasn’t going to school because I was getting suspended for not wearing a mask,” said Fiona. The crowd cheered and yelled, “we love you” in response.

“I didn’t like the mask because you have germs on your hands and then you touch it and you put it on your face and you breathe in all those germs,” she continued.

NOW – Florida’s Gov. DeSantis lets 2nd-grader, who was suspended 38 times for refusing to wear a mask, speak at his bill signing to stop vaccine mandates.pic.twitter.com/6PhMDBYa2U

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) November 18, 2021

DeSantis noted that the school has not made Fiona wear a mask since she started telling her story. “She got things done,” said DeSantis.

Fiona had been disciplined in school and suspended a total of 36 days for violating the school district’s mask mandate. “Fiona has changed her priorities a bit and is on a mission to take back not only her rights but every American child’s constitutional rights from the tyrant school board,” said Fiona’s mother.

Gov. DeSantis signed several bills limiting vaccine requirements Thursday, First Coast News reported. The bills prohibit private employer vaccine mandates and vaccine requirements by government entities. (RELATED: Mandatory School Masking Ends In Florida)

The Florida Board of Education sanctioned eight school districts in October for implementing mask mandates without options for opting out, violating an executive order.