Tag: school mask mandate

Democrat-Controlled Virginia Senate Passes Bill to Ban Mask Mandate in Schools

The Democrat-controlled Virginia Senate on Feb. 8 passed a bill to make masks optional in schools. The move comes as a January executive order to the same effect has been challenged by lawsuits, and resisted by dozens of school districts across the state. The bill, introduced by Democratic state Sen. Chap Petersen, would bar school…


Judge Declares Illinois School Mask Mandate ‘Null and Void’

A judge has granted a temporary restraining order in a lawsuit that sought to end mask mandates in Illinois schools, effectively blocking the masking requirement and other mitigation measures, prompting Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office to declare it will appeal. Sangamon County Judge Raylene DeWitte Grischow said in a Feb. 4 ruling that the defendants—Pritzker, the Illinois…


Illinois Judge Blocks School Mask Mandate; State to Appeal

An Illinois judge has granted a temporary restraining order in a lawsuit that sought to end mask mandates in schools districts statewide, effectively blocking the masking requirement and other mitigation measures, prompting Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office to declare that it will appeal the ruling. Sangamon County Judge Raylene DeWitte Grischow said in a Feb. 4…


As Virginia Students Get Slapped With Suspensions For Not Wearing Masks, Parents Direct Frustration at Governor

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va.—As more and more students across Virginia receive suspensions for following a state executive order by not wearing a mask in school, parents and students have expressed disappointment at the new governor’s handling of the matter, saying that they feel he doesn’t have their back. On his first day in office, Gov. Glenn…


10-Year-Old Virginia Student Receives 4 Suspensions in a Week for Refusing to Wear Mask, Vows to Press On

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va.—Despite receiving four suspensions in five school days, Bronagh McAllister, a 10-year-old in Virginia’s largest school district, has persisted in going maskless to her school. The fourth grader’s principal, Katie Cachine, who heads Waynewood Elementary School in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), gave Bronagh three one-day suspensions from Jan. 26 to Jan. 28,…


Unmasked Students Face Immediate Suspension from Loudoun County Public Schools

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va.—Refusal to wear a mask in school would result in immediate suspension, effective Feb. 2, the first day after the long weekend, Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) told unmasked students on Friday afternoon. In a video The Epoch Times reviewed, William Shipp, principal of Woodgrove High School, spoke at about 3:45 p.m. on…


‘Segregation’: Parents Protest Schools’ Differential Treatment of Unmasked Students in Loudoun County

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va.—Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) is reverting to segregation-era style policies by treating masked and unmasked students differently, parents whose children chose not to wear a mask to school this week argued at a school board meeting on Jan. 25. The mask mandate has been a contentious issue between parents and the school…


Southern California Parents Fight Against Mask Mandates for Kids in Schools

Southern California parents are fighting back against school COVID-19 rules, including mask mandates, quarantining and testing, filing lawsuits claiming that children are being harmed and their civil rights are being violated. Two years after the pandemic began—and after schools statewide were closed for around 18 months, California schools are still enforcing various measures to contain…


62,000 LAUSD Students and Staff Test Positive for COVID-19 as In-Person Classes Resume

LOS ANGELES—Students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) will return to campus on Jan. 11 amid a surge in COVID-19 cases—with 62,000 LAUSD students and employees testing positive for the virus as of Jan. 10. All students and staff are required to upload proof of a negative COVID-19 test to the Daily Pass…


LA County Requires Outdoor Masking for Students, Surgical or N95 Masks for School Staff

LOS ANGELES—Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases, students in Los Angeles County must wear masks outdoors where physical distancing is difficult as they return to school, while staff will be required to wear medical-grade masks, according to the county health department’s guidelines updated Jan. 1. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Public Health…