From Getty Images: “TAMPA, FL – AUGUST 06: Social distancing signs are visible during Hillsborough County School board meeting at the Hillsborough County Public Schools district office on August 6, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. The Hillsborough County School Board held a special meeting to decide if schools will reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
A group of parents is suing the Hillsborough County School Board in Florida over the district’s mask mandate.
From the complaint:
…the HCSB has instituted a policy of required face mask wear for students in order to attend school that serves no legitimate or rational purpose when actually analyzed through the prism of the actual science with respect to COVID 19 and the harm to the students that will be incurred if such a policy of required long term face mask wear is implemented. In fact, it is a policy instituted not based on reliable data or science, but on irrational fear. Such policy is not in a minor child’s best interest, but actually serves to harm a child’s well-being.
They argue putting masks on children serves no “rational purpose” when it comes to COVID-19.
“The school district’s mandate to require face coverings for all staff, students and visitors on our school campuses is based on guidance from the CDC, the local department of health and other medical experts,” Hillsborough County Schools spokeswoman Tanya Arja told WTSP in a statement.” The experts agree that face coverings are one of the most effective means for preventing the spread of COVID-19. We are sensitive to the unique challenges with requiring face coverings in a school setting but we believe it is one of the most important strategies we have to provide an additional layer of protection for everyone on our campuses. There are reasonable exemptions built into the mandate and we will work with families based on their individual needs. Although we have not yet been served with the lawsuit, we are reviewing the complaint and will defend the district’s position.”
Lawsuit Against School Mask Mandate by Law&Crime on Scribd
[Image via Octavio Jones/Getty Images]
