Court Smacks Down FL’s Ban On School Mask Mandates

The Washington Post reports:

A Florida judge ruled Friday that the state overstepped its authority in restricting school districts from enacting mask mandates after parents sued officials amid a surge of coronavirus infections.

Judge John Cooper of Florida’s Second Circuit sided with parents from six Florida counties who challenged Ron DeSantis (R) and state education officials in court this week, arguing that the governor’s order infringes on classroom safety guaranteed by the state’s constitution.

In a milestone decision in the heated debate about mask mandates in Florida, Cooper ordered that the state cannot require districts to offer voluntary mandates over “the preservation of general welfare,” comparing the masking issue to the difference between the right to drink alcohol and the criminality of drunk driving.

Read the full article.

Florida judge rules state officials cannot restrict school districts’ mask mandates https://t.co/ywxLBp2vrH

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 27, 2021