Court rules for Florida governor, reinstates ban on mask mandates in state's schools

Florida's First District Court of Appeals reinstated a stay that was lifted by Circuit Judge John Cooper, who earlier ruled that the state does not have the authority to ban mandates in a case brought by a group of parents. "No surprise here - the 1st DCA has restored the right of parents to make the best decisions for their children," DeSantis wrote in a Tweet.


Reuters | Updated: 11-09-2021 01:20 IST | Created: 11-09-2021 01:20 IST
Court rules for Florida governor, reinstates ban on mask mandates in state's schools

A state appeals court ruled on Friday in favor of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, issuing a stay in a case that effectively reinstates his ban on mask mandates in the state's public schools to the dismay of many parents and teachers. Florida's First District Court of Appeals reinstated a stay that was lifted by Circuit Judge John Cooper, who earlier ruled that the state does not have the authority to ban mandates in a case brought by a group of parents.

"No surprise here - the 1st DCA has restored the right of parents to make the best decisions for their children," DeSantis wrote in a Tweet. "I will continue to fight for parents' rights." Florida is one of several U.S. states where Republican governors like DeSantis have sought to prevent local governments and school districts from mandating masks, in what has become a politicized tussle over COVID-19 precautions.

These governors have said that such rules infringe on personal liberty. Proponents of mask mandates have said the rules are necessary to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, as cases rise particularly in areas with lower vaccination rates, driven by the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus. In addition, children under 12 are not yet approved for vaccination. DeSantis in July issued an executive order barring school mask mandates for students. DeSantis has said parents should decide whether their children wear masks.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the fourth largest district in the United States, is among more than a dozen school districts that had imposed mask requirements in defiance of the governor's order. This week, the state Department of Education withheld funding from two of those districts. On Aug. 27, Judge Cooper ruled in favor of a group of parents who brought a lawsuit opposing the mask mandate and vacated the automatic stay in the case.

In its decision, the appeals court said it had "serious doubts" about the standing, jurisdiction and other legal matters in the case. Charles Gallagher, the lead attorney for the parents, wrote on Twitter that they will be seeking a ruling from the state Supreme Court.

"With a stay in place, students, parents and teachers are back in harm's way," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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