Richmond: Republican Virginia Governor Glenow youngkin was facing a new legal challenge over its executive action aimed at letting parents wear school masks as their order went into effect on Monday.
Youngkin issued the order as one of his first acts after being sworn in as governor on January 15, and since then there has been confusion over its implications. Some districts have interpreted the order as being accompanied by a state law that deals with COVID-19 mitigation in schools and have opted to keep the pre-existing mask mandate for students.
Some observers took to social media over the weekend to urge parents to follow the governor’s order, regardless of the situation in their school district. On Monday, as students reported in classes, there were no immediate reports of major issues requiring intervention by law enforcement.
Faced with a legal challenge filed last week by a group of parents and an order filed by seven school boards on Monday morning, Youngkin urged patience and urged parents to give their children’s school principals some time. asked to listen.
“Listen to a principal today. And I know some school systems are doing things that are inconsistent with respecting parental rights. … Let’s just respect that and let this legal process go,” He said in an interview Monday morning with Richmond radio station WRVA.
He acknowledged the potential for conflict, saying: “This is not a moment for us to forget that we are all in the same boat and love each other.”
Monday’s legal challenge was brought by seven school boards in the state, which filed a lawsuit in Arlington County Circuit Court seeking to block the executive order.
In a message to parents, Fairfax County Public Schools superintendent Scott Brebrand expressed hope that the lawsuit would allow for a speedy resolution of conflicts between the governor and local boards, who believe a mask mandate is a necessary public health measure.
“It is imperative that decisions about education and school safety are made at the local level to support the best interests of our students and the community,” Brebrand said.
In addition to Fairfax, the state’s most populous jurisdiction, school boards in Alexandria, Richmond, Hampton, Falls Church, Arlington County and Prince William County, joined suit. Collectively, the jurisdictions represent over 350,000 students.
The lawsuit argues that the state’s constitution empowers local school boards to run their districts. It also cites a state law that requires school systems to comply with federal health guidelines, including recommendations for universal masking.
“The issue is whether locally elected school boards will retain the special authority and responsibility conferred by Article VIII, Section 7 of the Constitution of Virginia to oversee public schools in their respective school divisions, or whether the governor unilaterally violates that right.” May or may not. Via an executive order,” the lawsuit says.
Youngkin spokesman Macaulay Porter said the administration was disappointed that school boards were acting against parental rights.
“The governor and attorney general are in coordination and committed to aggressively defending a parent’s fundamental right to make decisions regarding the upbringing, education and care of their child as the legal process continues,” he said in a statement. Is.”
Proponents of the executive order say the state law is not in conflict with Youngkin’s executive order because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only recommends wearing a mask and does not mandate it.
Fairfax County School Board Chair Stella Petarsky Said that the current facade mandates allow the school system to provide individualized learning throughout the school year.
“We have kept the trend transmission level low,” she said. “We haven’t had to close a single school because of COVID. We’ve put our kids in the classroom, and we’re going to do everything in our power to keep this going.”
In Loudoun County, also in northern Virginia, no students were sent home for disobeying a mask order on Monday morning, said school district spokesman Wyde Byrd.
He said those who refused to wear masks were sent to the school auditorium, where they could do virtual work through the school’s online platform. He said the lunch period was adjusted to ensure that the masked students got lunch.
Feather Woodgrove High SchoolFor example, about 30 out of 1400 students refused to wear masks. Four or five parents opted to drag their kids. He said that the rest of the people stayed in a separate school from the masked comrades.
He said that in some schools the parents are angry, but the principals avoided the situation.
“It was quite a non-event,” Byrd said.
Monday’s lawsuit follows a plea last week by a group of parents in the Chesapeake area Virginia Supreme Court challenging executive order
Supreme Court judges took no action on the trial last week and it was not immediately clear whether they would do so on Monday.
Democrats applauded school boards that challenged Youngkin on Monday and accused him of using children as political pawns.
“Youngkin is well on his way to becoming the most divisive and authoritarian governor in the long history of our Commonwealth,” State Senator Mamie Locke said at a news conference.
Youngkin issued the order as one of his first acts after being sworn in as governor on January 15, and since then there has been confusion over its implications. Some districts have interpreted the order as being accompanied by a state law that deals with COVID-19 mitigation in schools and have opted to keep the pre-existing mask mandate for students.
Some observers took to social media over the weekend to urge parents to follow the governor’s order, regardless of the situation in their school district. On Monday, as students reported in classes, there were no immediate reports of major issues requiring intervention by law enforcement.
Faced with a legal challenge filed last week by a group of parents and an order filed by seven school boards on Monday morning, Youngkin urged patience and urged parents to give their children’s school principals some time. asked to listen.
“Listen to a principal today. And I know some school systems are doing things that are inconsistent with respecting parental rights. … Let’s just respect that and let this legal process go,” He said in an interview Monday morning with Richmond radio station WRVA.
He acknowledged the potential for conflict, saying: “This is not a moment for us to forget that we are all in the same boat and love each other.”
Monday’s legal challenge was brought by seven school boards in the state, which filed a lawsuit in Arlington County Circuit Court seeking to block the executive order.
In a message to parents, Fairfax County Public Schools superintendent Scott Brebrand expressed hope that the lawsuit would allow for a speedy resolution of conflicts between the governor and local boards, who believe a mask mandate is a necessary public health measure.
“It is imperative that decisions about education and school safety are made at the local level to support the best interests of our students and the community,” Brebrand said.
In addition to Fairfax, the state’s most populous jurisdiction, school boards in Alexandria, Richmond, Hampton, Falls Church, Arlington County and Prince William County, joined suit. Collectively, the jurisdictions represent over 350,000 students.
The lawsuit argues that the state’s constitution empowers local school boards to run their districts. It also cites a state law that requires school systems to comply with federal health guidelines, including recommendations for universal masking.
“The issue is whether locally elected school boards will retain the special authority and responsibility conferred by Article VIII, Section 7 of the Constitution of Virginia to oversee public schools in their respective school divisions, or whether the governor unilaterally violates that right.” May or may not. Via an executive order,” the lawsuit says.
Youngkin spokesman Macaulay Porter said the administration was disappointed that school boards were acting against parental rights.
“The governor and attorney general are in coordination and committed to aggressively defending a parent’s fundamental right to make decisions regarding the upbringing, education and care of their child as the legal process continues,” he said in a statement. Is.”
Proponents of the executive order say the state law is not in conflict with Youngkin’s executive order because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only recommends wearing a mask and does not mandate it.
Fairfax County School Board Chair Stella Petarsky Said that the current facade mandates allow the school system to provide individualized learning throughout the school year.
“We have kept the trend transmission level low,” she said. “We haven’t had to close a single school because of COVID. We’ve put our kids in the classroom, and we’re going to do everything in our power to keep this going.”
In Loudoun County, also in northern Virginia, no students were sent home for disobeying a mask order on Monday morning, said school district spokesman Wyde Byrd.
He said those who refused to wear masks were sent to the school auditorium, where they could do virtual work through the school’s online platform. He said the lunch period was adjusted to ensure that the masked students got lunch.
Feather Woodgrove High SchoolFor example, about 30 out of 1400 students refused to wear masks. Four or five parents opted to drag their kids. He said that the rest of the people stayed in a separate school from the masked comrades.
He said that in some schools the parents are angry, but the principals avoided the situation.
“It was quite a non-event,” Byrd said.
Monday’s lawsuit follows a plea last week by a group of parents in the Chesapeake area Virginia Supreme Court challenging executive order
Supreme Court judges took no action on the trial last week and it was not immediately clear whether they would do so on Monday.
Democrats applauded school boards that challenged Youngkin on Monday and accused him of using children as political pawns.
“Youngkin is well on his way to becoming the most divisive and authoritarian governor in the long history of our Commonwealth,” State Senator Mamie Locke said at a news conference.
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