Class Action Lawsuits Arise as School Districts Across Country Deciding Whether To Keep Mask Mandates in Place

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School District Mask Mandates Overview: 

• Who: School districts around the country are deciding whether or not to remove universal mask mandates.
• Why: Mask mandates are being removed by some school districts, while others are choosing to keep them in place in the midst of a surge of COVID-19 infections.
• Where: Mask mandates are in place in school districts across the country.

The debate on whether to continue enforcing mask mandates in schools continues to divide parents, school districts, and state and local governments across the country, in many cases even leading to legal action. 

In Virginia this week, the Spotsylvania County School Board’s recently elected conservative majority voted to rescind its mask mandate policy for teachers, students, and visitors on its campus, reports NBC 4 Washington. 

The decision to remove the mandate divided parents and members of the school board and came amid a COVID-19 positivity rate of 47% in Spotsylvania county. 

Culpeper County Public Schools, also in northern Virginia, changed its policy to make masks optional for students, effective earlier this week, reports NBC 4 Washington. 

Virginia Governor Orders Mask Wearing Be Parents Choice

Virginia’s newly-elected governor Glenn Youngkin has already signed an executive order declaring that it must be a parent’s choice whether or not they want their child to wear a mask while at school. 

Youngkin’s order will begin taking effect on Monday, however state law still requires schools to follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID-19, which includes universal masking.

Several Virginia school districts are seemingly defying the governor, including Arlington Public Schools (APS), which has said masks will still be required in schools and onboard buses, reports The Hill. 

The Loudoun County school board also voted to continue its mask mandate, following a recommendation from Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Ziegler, reports WTOP. 

Debate Over Governor’s Order Reaches White House

Debate over Youngkin’s policy reached the federal government, with White House Press Secretary Jenn Psaki tweeting in support of APS over the weekend. 

“Hi there. Arlington county parent here (don’t believe you are @GlennYoungkin but correct me if I am wrong),” Psaki tweeted. “Thank you to @APSVirginia for standing up for our kids, teachers and administrators and their safety in the midst of a transmissible variant.”

In Pennsylvania, meanwhile, a federal judge sided with pro-mask parents by issuing a temporary restraining order in order to halt the North Allegheny School Districts decision to make mask wearing optional. 

A group of four parents filed a class action lawsuit in response to the school district’s decision, arguing the revised policy violates the Americans with Disabilities Act by putting the health of disabled and medically vulnerable students at risk.

The school board voted to overturn its universal mask mandate policy in December. Previously, its policy was to require masks during periods of high transmission rates in the county.

The school district has defended its decision to overturn the mask mandate, arguing it had delayed doing so until the start of the new semester on Jan. 18 and has implemented a number of new hygiene policies, reports the Tribune-Review. 

Texas Parents Plead With School District To Require Masks, While Tennessee School Votes to End Mask Mandate

In Texas, meanwhile, some parents of Plano Independent School District students pleaded with the school board on Jan. 11 to implement a mask mandate, amid a scourge of COVID-19 infections affecting both students and teachers, reports CBS 21 Dallas-Ft. Worth.

Pro-mask parents and students argued the high-infection rate had left the schools without enough teachers or substitutes available to teach classes. 

Parents against mask mandates were also present. The school board ultimately decided not to take any action, since the issue wasn’t on the agenda. More than 1,000 students in the school district were infected with COVID-19 at the time of the meeting. 

Tennessee’s Germantown Municipal School District was another which voted to end its universal mask mandate this week, reports Prensa Latina. 

The move aligned GMSD with the five other municipal school districts, however put it in contrast with Shelby County Schools. 

Board members decided to remove the mask mandate after determining pediatric COVID-19 rates had decreased enough since before the holidays, reports Prensa Latina.

Are you a student, parent, or teacher who has had to abide by a mask mandate while on campus? Let us know in the comments! 

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