Governor Pritzker said the judge's ruling, "cultivates chaos" and that, "poor legal reasoning should not take one of our most effective tools off the table so again, I have asked the attorney general to continue to aggressively appeal this decision.". READ: Judge Raylene Grischows full ruling here. While some districts continue to isolate students from class for not wearing masks, other schools across the state went mask optional this last week. The school district appealed, and the Fifth District Appellate Court said the restraining order had to be vacated because the lawsuit didnt name Governor J.B. Pritzer, the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health as defendants, in addition to the school district. A dozen parents or guardians from District 122 were named in the complaint. How many Illinois school districts are mask optional? Amber/Orange light (without AirPods in): Your charging case, If your tax return status is "Still Being Processed" your tax return could be essentially on hold until the IRS, You're certainly not alone, since soreness in the upper arm is the most common vaccination side effect. "This shows yet again that the mask mandate and school exclusion protocols are essential tools to keep schools open and everyone safe. The complaint, filed in local district court, alleges Pritzker overstepped his authority in signing an executive order last week mandating masks in all preschools, elementary and secondary schools in Illinois. DeVore was in the process of writing a temporary restraining order in the latest lawsuit Thursday afternoon. One can only presume Pritzker is dissatisfied the legislature chose not to empower IDPH and ISBE with this authority, so he took it upon himself to pilfer the power of the legislature and for all intents and purposes made HB 2789 a law on his own, the suit said. Illinois schools temporarily blocked from enforcing mask mandates and Illinois mask mandate will lift for residents Feb. 28, but students will have to continue wearing masks at schools. Neither Pritzkers office, nor the ISBE, immediately returned messages seeking comment. The Good, Bad, Ugly In Renewed IL School Mask Debate The superintendent of District 122 in Metamora said they were aware of the lawsuit, but not in any official capacity. Effective September 23, 2022, in alignment with the California Department of Public Healths (CDPH) announcement. ", Earlier:Mask mandate for Illinois schools rejected by state legislative oversight committee. And we will stand with our local unions to protect our members and the students they serve. When Judge Grischow announced her decision on 4:45 p.m. on Friday, her 29-page ruling didn't settle the questions about masking in school. Rockridge School District released a statement, saying they are reviewing the judge's decision and will provide an update "as soon as possible.". Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. and other people were like, 'I'm still gonna wear it.' Now that the judge has made her widely-anticipated ruling, what are the next steps? You do not need to show proof of vaccination in Chicago and Cook County. "It's time for kids out of masks. Illinois judge hears arguments in lawsuit claiming due process So what does it mean, how are schools responding and whats next? People seem to be leaving to states with an improved business climate, lower taxes, and we would also say because that states with the worst government finances seem to be losing population the most, Weinberg said. Pritzker added it didn't stop businesses or local governments from creating and enforcing mask requirements. The board added that they encourage everyone to wear a mask due to high transmission rates in schools. Contact StevenSpearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie. Parents from eight Peoria-area school districts are participating in a lawsuit aimed at abolishing mask requirements in schools. In some locales, there were protests at school board meetings. The lawsuit against the 146 schooldistricts was originally filed in Macoupin County in October. With nearly 1,300 students, Timothy Christian is the largest Christian school in Illinois. The bicameral committee, made up of lawmakers from both parties, rejected the rule unanimously. SEE ALSO | Restaurant vaccine mandate, indoor mask rules could end 'soon' if COVID cases stay in free fall. We believe what the judge ordered today is legally faulty and a threat to public health and, most importantly, a threat to keeping Illinois schools open for in-person learning. As we have from the beginning of the pandemic, the administration will keep working to ensure every Illinoisan has the tools needed to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. MORE: Students walk out over COVID-19 in-person learning . "My opinion, I think they should still be wearing the masks," Rojek said. JB. Greenville-based attorney Thomas DeVore, the plaintiff in the case, said those executive orders were trying to get around the law of the court and due process. Update on Court Case and Masking in D128: https://t.co/Vz0Dxo097T. The judge's decision covers districts across the state but not Chicago Public Schools. J.B. Pritzker's mask mandate being found null and void by Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Raylene Grischow Feb. 4. The Fourth District Appellate Court ruled early Friday that Illinois' indoor mask requirement in schools has expired and the appeal made by the Illinois attorney general against a temporary. "They're hollow policies and without any lawful rule and some mechanism, you can't do anything with them. Abbott prohibits mask mandates by local governments including school districts. Pritzker's actions to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and will appeal this decision in the Illinois Appellate Court for the 4th District in Springfield," said Attorney General Kwame Raoul. MASK AND EXCLUSION POLICIES. JBPritzker,Illinois State Board of Education superintendent Carmen Ayala and Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, as defendants.A hearing before Seventh Circuit Judge April Troemper is set for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 5 in Carlinville.COVID vaccine:Hundreds of Peoria teachers, staff havent taken COVID vaccine, district saysThe superintendent of District 122 in Metamora said they were aware of the lawsuit, but not in any official capacity.We have zero documentation other than what weve found online,, Illinois school mask mandate ruling forces districts to decide , Illinois school mask mandate ruling forces districts to decide whether or not to make masks optionalSCHAUMBURG, Ill. (WLS) An Illinois judges ruling has forced many schools Monday to decide whether to continue with a mask mandate or to make them optional, and emotions across the state are running high.Some school districts kept their mask rules in place, while others made them optional.But emotions boiled over a meeting in Naperville Monday night.Why are you continuing to enforce a mandate that is null and void? ranted one parent. ", According to these parents, Pritzker has continuously issued, "one-man edicts, mandates, orders, and one size fits all guidance," throughout the pandemic. Pritzker's administration quickly adopted the new guidelines. In September, a judge there ordered a preliminary injunction in a case that has not gone to trial yet. Our children and their families need certainty and some normalcy at school, not legal wrangling managed by a small minority of citizens.We urge the judge to stay her ruling and the state to appeal it as soon as possible. The word school is only mentioned five times, but in conjunction with the states earthquake awareness program, as well as grants for safety and security improvements. The law constantly refers to coordination with smaller units of local government like municipalities and counties, but the definition of political subdivision within the statute doesnt include school districts. Administration spokesperson Jordan Abudayyehsaid the governor was "concerned for the health of those in schoolsparticularly vulnerable children and adultsand the ability to continue in-person learning. In the meantime, we will continue to advise our members on how to remain safe and healthy at work. "This is what the overwhelming majority of Chicago parents and families support.". The state of Illinois announced it will appeal the decision,with Pritzker late Friday calling the ruling "misguided.". The local school districts named in the parents' lawsuit include Springfield Public School District 186 and Ball-Chatham School District 5 along with Carrollton, Mount Pulaski, Petersburg. Geneva Community United School District 304 said it will cancel classes Monday, explaining implementing an emergency day is in its best interest. In fact, the safety mitigations encompassed by the State's guidance, as well as vaccinations for children and adults, are the best ways to keep schools open and everyone healthy. For others, the mask optional decision was long overdue. KalegNar 1 yr. ago. ", More:Illinois mask mandate for most indoor settings will be lifted by the end of the month. More than 700 parents took part in the lawsuit, claiming local health department should have authority to quarantine or mandate masks, not the schools. First, that students and teachers cannot be required to wear masks while in school buildings or be excluded from school premises after close contact exposure to COVID-19, absent consent or a full evidentiary hearing and court order entered pursuant to the procedures contained in Section 2 of the Illinois Department of Public Health Act. The 90 plaintiffs in the suit worked in 22 different . That includes going forward with a "mask recommended" policy. ""We remain committed to defending Gov. ", Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. "Mask mandates in schools are illegal, they simply don't work, and they contribute to alarming and negative psychological impacts on our children," Schmitt, a . Masks are required regardless of vaccination status.Pritzker said the mandate would protect unvaccinated children and adults, as well as the elderly and others with reduced immune systems who are more likely to develop breakthrough infections of COVID-19 even after they get vaccinations.Arrested:Rochester pastor accused of grooming minor, is suspended, Illinois school mask mandate lawsuit: What you need to know, Illinois school mask mandate lawsuit: What you need to know about a judges ruling that upended school COVID-19 rulesChicago-area school districts are relaxing their COVID-19 policies or revealing they plan to stay the course in the wake of an Illinois judges decision to temporarily prevent Gov. That bill, HB 2789, passed the Illinois House on party lines in April, but never received a vote on the Senate floor this spring before the legislature adjourned. Downstate Judge Issues Order Against Mask Mandate For Illinois Schools Dozens of students showed up at Naperville schools Monday maskless. That, Craven said, would essentially be asking the Supreme Court to tell the appellate court to decide the case and would be on a faster track. It was denied Class Action status. In a letter attached as an exhibit to the lawsuit, District 12 Superintendent Travis Schmale wrote to parents last week, empathizing with frustration borne of "constant changes. If such overreach is allowed to stand, the separation of powers will have been reduced to ashes and the executive will be allowed to disregard the legislature and create law, rules and regulations at his or her pleasure, the suit said. To facilitate safe in-person learning, the administration has provided schools across the state with 3.8 million masks for students, teachers, and staff as of January 12th. The administration is working with (Attorney General Kwame Raoul)to request an expedited review of this decision from the (Illinois) Supreme Court. The State has completed over 2 million COVID-19 tests in schools through the SHIELD program and sent more than a million rapid tests into schools outside of the City of Chicago. However, the district explained there are students who have exceptions as they are included in the lawsuit in which the TRO was issued. Joliet School District 204 - masks required Illinois parents sue Pritzker over school mask mandate Several surrounding school districts, including Schaumburg, Elmhurst, Arlington Heights, Barrington and Wheaton, have chosen to make masks optional. More than two dozen Illinois school districts are on probation after flouting the statewide mask requirements for staff and students inside schools. Judge denies class action in mask mandate case - Alton Telegraph Cary School District 26 has about 2,400 students. legislative committee Tuesdaynot renewing the mask mandate, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. That wouldn't affect schools or congregate settings like hospitals and long-term care facilities. In granting them a temporary restraining order, Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Raylene DeWitte Grischow said the mandates violate the plaintiffs' "due process rights under the law which provide them a meaningful opportunity to object to any such mitigations.". JBPritzker,Illinois State Board of Education superintendent Carmen Ayala and Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, as defendants. More and more Illinois schools going mask optional after court ruling Illinois Appeals Temporary Order Blocking School Mask Mandate Reading lips is really important for her.". Parents lash out at Naperville school board meeting after district decides to keep requiring masks. This type of evil is exactly what the law was intended to constrain. Read the full ruling here. At least one Illinois school district has canceled classes for Monday and many others have decided to recommend masks. It prohibited schools from requiring the plaintiffs kids to wear a mask unless there was consent or a court order. When it comes to relaxing mitigations in schools, Fauci said, "We're not there yet. There are exceptions. You have all shown your true colors. "I think they should follow health recommendations, which right now say kids should be in a mask<' said Reid McCollum, pro-mask parent. It was later moved to Grischow's courtroom in Sangamon County. All rights reserved. Schools in Roscoe and Rockton handle judge's mask ruling in very Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Raylene Grischow issued the order Friday afternoon in a lawsuit brought by hundreds of parents in more than 145 school districts who claim the mask order. CCDPH Mitigation Order 2021-10 was issued on August 23, 2021 and requires individuals age 2 and older to wear masks in indoor public settings, regardless of vaccination status. The lawsuit questionsthe mask mandate and a schools ability to exclude students and deny in-person learning without a lawful order of quarantine from alocal health department. Attorney Thomas DeVore argued a case Monday in Springfield on behalf of dozens of school staff challenging vaccine and mask mandates in schools as a violation of due process. Soon after the Pritzker administration adopted the suggestions, school boards across the state took the CDC's advice and applied it in many different ways; some mandating masks regardless of vaccination status, some requiring masks only for certain grades and some eschewing masks altogether. Illinois has about 850 districts. TheFourth District Appellate Courtis one of five districts of theIllinois Appellate Court. Justice John Turner wrote the order. Parents from eight Peoria-area school districts are participating in a lawsuit aimed at abolishing mask requirements in schools. Community Consolidated School District 181, which has schools in Clarendon Hills, Hinsdale, and Burr Ridge, said Monday will be an emergency remote instruction day. The governor's office issued a news release saying schools may be forced to go remote if they don't have proper tools to keep students and staff safe. Well over 100 school districts in Illinois were sued in the lawsuit. At least ten of the districts are in WCIA 3s viewing area in Central Illinois. Mask protest planned at Illinois schools - Axios Chicago DeVore rose to prominence among conservatives last year for filing numerous lawsuits against Pritzkers administration for COVID mitigations, most famously a suit that freed just one person State Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) from the governors stay-at-home orders.