PUNTA GORDA, Fla.—A Florida judge in Leon County has cleared the way for parents to have their day in court over the tussle regarding school mask mandate policies. A lawsuit was filed in early August by parents opposed to the governor’s order banning school districts from imposing mask mandates without the option for parents to opt out by written statement.  The judge on Aug. 19 sided with parents and said they had a legal right to sue, overruling the state’s arguments. The initial complaint made by St Petersburg attorney Charles Gallagher argued that the governor’s order “impairs the safe operation of schools.” In the complaint, he wrote that the governor’s order took away districts’ “constitutional powers to operate, supervise, and control schools” under their supervision. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attorney Michael Abel had moved to dismiss the case, but Judge John Cooper said that the case “deserved to be considered on its merits …