Because it will never be perfect.". Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is seeking an appeal of a judge's ruling temporarily blocking the state from enforcing a mask mandate at dozens of school districts. This time, parents sued the school districts, IDPH, ISBE and Gov. Well over 100 school districts in Illinois were sued in the lawsuit. Vernon Hills-based Community High School District 128, too, will still enforce the mask mandate, except for when it comes to students named in the lawsuit. CHICAGO AREA, IL Masks in schools have been a topic of debate for parents since face coverings first became required for kids attending school in Illinois. 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. JB. J.B. Pritzker's statewide mask mandate in school buildings.. "You guys have kept school running. ", Earlier:Mask mandate for Illinois schools rejected by state legislative oversight committee. Justices Thomas Harris and Lisa Holder White concurred in most parts. "Because future court rulings may go back and forth, and because changing our policies back and forth would create confusion and disruption in our schools, we will continue the current mask policy for now," Archdiocese officials said. "I'm not sure who you represent but it is not us," said another parent. "I have a daughter that is a little speech delayed. By. MASK AND EXCLUSION POLICIES. When it comes to relaxing mitigations in schools, Fauci said, "We're not there yet. Pritzker added it didn't stop businesses or local governments from creating and enforcing mask requirements. READ: Judge Raylene Grischows full ruling here. The case was filed in Macoupin County by attorney Thomas DeVore seeks declaratory judgment and injunctions against the schools, saying its unlawful to exclude students from school for allegedly being in close contact with a COVID-19 case without the consent of the parent or a court order that includes due process. 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. Some exceptions to the order apply. Prior to the ruling,NBC 5 talked to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, about the state of COVID-19 in Illinois. The judge filed a temporary restraining order against Bond CountyCommunity UnitSchool DistrictNo. The complaint points to a bill pending in the General Assembly that would compel school districts to follow Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois State Board of Education guidelines during public health emergencies, and forbid them to adopt policies contrary to state guidelines. The state of Illinois announced it will appeal the decision,with Pritzker late Friday calling the ruling "misguided.". 8 min read. Mask optional on Tuesday. "This shows yet again that the mask mandate and school exclusion protocols are essential tools to keep schools open and everyone safe. The case is a culmination of several others filed statewide by Attorney Tom DeVore. Unlike most of the suits filed by DeVore and others in the last 18 months, Mondays lawsuit does not challenge Pritzkers ability to issue continuous disaster declarations beyond the 30-day period provided for in the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, or IEMAA. It has supreme authority in matters of quarantine and isolation. A dozen parents or guardians from District 122 were named in the complaint. We believe we can achieve this," said Matt Davidson, superintendent for Timothy Christian Schools. They were separated out and did e-learning activities. The school district appealed, and the Fifth District Appellate Court said the restraining order had, Illinois school mask mandate temporarily blocked by courts, Illinois schools temporarily blocked from enforcing mask mandates and vaccinationsA temporary restraining order issued Friday by Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge RayleneGrischow has reducedschools ability to require masks and vaccinations.The orderwas the result of severallawsuits broughtby Greenville attorney Thomas DeVore on behalf of several hundred parents and teachers from around the state. 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In St. Charles, district officials have also decided to cancel classes and use an emergency day Monday. The high school parents challenging Illinois Gov. Parents have stormed school board . Illinois schools from requiring people to wear face masks in classes and excluding students and staff from school buildings if they've had close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. SANGAMON COUNTY, Ill. (WLS) -- A downstate Illinois judge ruled against the state's school mandates, including masking, in response to lawsuits involving parents and teachers from more than. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education last year, arguing there was no due process in Illinois statewide mask order. Pritzker announced on Feb. 9 a plan to rollback indoor mask requirements by the end of the month. ", Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. "Statutory rights have attempted to be bypassed through the issuance of executive orders and emergency rules," she stated in the 29-page order. Illinois is one of 13 states that require masks in schools in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Example video title will go here for this video. They also voted that starting Tuesday, masks will be suggested but not required. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) -- A downstate judge has granted a temporary restraining order in favor of a group that sued to end COVID-19 mask mandates in Illinois public school districts.. The ruling was a response to a lawsuit filed by a group of parents and school districts who claimed . "Kind of uncomfortable because I'll know that they're more likely to get sick and they're more likely to pass it to me," Rojek said. Arlington Heights School District 25 distributed a letter to parents saying it will be in a "mask recommended environment" - at least during the Temporary Restraining Order period. What the ruling does. "We have zero documentation other than what we've found online," saidSean OLaughlin on Thursday afternoon. "Its far past time we restore the system of self-governance upon which this nation was founded. ""We remain committed to defending Gov. The class action lawsuit against 140 school districts around Illinois was filed Wednesday at the Macoupin County courthouse in Carlinville. The administration is working with (Attorney General Kwame Raoul)to request an expedited review of this decision from the (Illinois) Supreme Court. The court's misguided decision is wrong on the law, demonstrates a misunderstanding of Illinois emergency injunction proceedings and has no relation to the record that was before the court. The Illinois Association of School Administrators on Friday said about 700 districts it has reached so far have a mask optional policy or will transition to one soon. DeVore claims it would take significant mental gymnastics to apply his powers under the IEMAA to local schools, and implored the court to intervene or risk a constitutional crisis. The parents from District 203 read from the temporary restraining order. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Illinois is requiring students . 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. A judge in downstate Sangamon County granted a temporary restraining order Friday effectively prohibiting mask requirements for students in numerous school districts across the state. The case is a culmination of several others filed statewide by Attorney Tom DeVore. A judge's recent ruling that Gov. Pritzker. COVID vaccine: Hundreds of Peoria teachers, staff haven't taken COVID vaccine, district says. Complaint filed . 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. A new bill in the Illinois House aims to stop schools from working with police to issue students tickets for minor misbehavior, a harmful and sometimes costly . 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. J.B. Pritzker's COVID-19 mask mandate was authorized illegally prompted chaos and confusion Monday morning at school districts across Illinois, as. NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | Ketia Daniel, founder of BHM Cleaning Co., is BestReviews cleaning expert. The lawsuit contended that IDPH and ISBE are not lawful authoritieson which school districts can base mask and exclusion policies. Illinois has about 850 districts. The lawsuit begins with laying out current COVID-19 statistics in Illinois, including a calculation that the survival rate for children and young adults up to age 20 who contract the virus is 99.9973%, citing 20 COVID deaths in that cohort in Illinois since the pandemic began. The latest lawsuit was filed in Macoupin County. District 181 schools went to remote learning Monday while administrators figure out how to interpret the ruling; the district is a party in the case. J.B. Pritzker's mask mandate being found null and void by Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Raylene Grischow Feb. 4. District 202 made note of the fluid situation in its message. Elgin Area School District U46 is standing by its requirement, explaining its Board of Education approved a resolution in August of last year supporting that the district follows recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as local health agencies. The Illinois Association of School Administrators on Friday said about 700 districts it has reached so far have a mask optional policy or will transition to one soon. J.B. Pritzker's ability to use emergency powers to cancel student sports and mandate athletes wear masks changed their lawsuit to try to block . . If the legislature wont act to reign in these abuses, our only recourse to seek redress is the judiciary. says it does have that power under the Department of Public Health Act. According to the ruling, collectively-bargained agreements remain enforceable, like the one between CPS and the Chicago Teachers Union. Here's what we know so far. Some of the parents in the complaint shared their views on the issue prior to filing the complaint, said O'Laughlin. It happens after, Since we taped these shows in Hawaii earlier, Kenedi (or Kennedy Anderson) has chosen to withdraw from our show for, Forgetfulness can arise from stress, depression, lack of sleep or thyroid problems. (AS TO ALL PLAINTIFFS, IDPH AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS) 11. mopeyjoe 1 yr. ago. As school districts across the state begin to interpret the order, different actions are being taken. 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. Our children deserve no less. Pritzker issued an executive order Aug. 26requiring masks in Illinois schools for teachers, students, staff and visitors. (The Center Square) - Students attending one of the 145 schools across Illinois who are part of a sweeping lawsuit won't have to wear a mask if they don't want to, unless they're given due process. School districts and private businesses can continue to require masks at their discretion. Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow issued the order, which went into effect Friday afternoon, after Rockridge and 144 other state school districts were named ina lawsuit by over 700 parents against the IL State Board of Education, the state's health director and Gov. The lawsuit named at least 69 Chicago area school districts as defendants, including the Chicago Public Schools and districts from all regions of Chicago's suburbs. . KalegNar 1 yr. ago. 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 judge filed a temporary restraining order against Bond CountyCommunity UnitSchool DistrictNo. It is not the children you care about.Im not sure who you represent but it is not us, said another parent.The parents from District 203 read from the temporary restraining order. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, p J.B. Pritzkers school mask mandate and other safety measures from being enforced statewide.After canceling classes Monday to study the ruling, St. Charles District 303 and Geneva District 304 announced they are encouraging students and staff to continue to wear masks, but will no longer require them to do so. Car dealership workers kidnapped, tortured in armed robbery: police, Woman buys new tires that turn out to be 9 years old. J.B. Pritzker, ISBE and 16 school districts in Lake and McHenry counties over the states school mask mandate and other COVID rules. They must also have due process. It's just a piece of paper.". Part of the parents lawsuit argues that only local health departments have the authority to issue mask and quarantine orders under state statute. The Joliet Diocese is requiring all catholic schools within the diocese to continue to wear masks including Joliet Catholic Academy. Vaccinations, boosters, mask-wearing and testing are the key to keeping schools open and to maintaining safety standards for staff and students alike. That happened in Bond County. DeVore filed the suit on behalf of a father of a student in Breese School District 12 in Clinton County, about 40 miles east of St. Louis. Hundreds of Peoria teachers, staff haven't taken COVID vaccine, district says, A Peoria teacher quits and the video goes viral, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "We expect the mayor and CPS to act responsibly and uphold our agreement to require masks providing KN95 masks for every adult and child in our schools," CTU said in a statement. Justice John Turner wrote the order. Geneva District 304 has declared Monday an emergency day as the schools work out what they will do regarding masks, officials announced Sunday night. Effective September 23, 2022, in alignment with the California Department of Public Healths (CDPH) announcement. Tony Sanders said in a letter to parents. According to District 86, about 55 of students at Hinsdale Central refused to wear a mask Monday; they were given the choice ot go to the auditorium or back home. 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 denies students due process. A spokeswoman for Gov. MORE: Students walk out over COVID-19 in-person learning . That happened in Bond County. "We hadboth students and adults wearing masks and there were those who chose not to wear masks," Cox said. "It's time for kids out of masks. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. All this is prompted by Gov. Location may have been the reasoning, DeVore added, but he said he cant remember who suggested Macoupin County. In some locales, there were protests at school board meetings. Parents from eight Peoria-area school districts are participating in a lawsuit aimed at abolishing mask requirements in schools. Some school districts kept their mask rules in place, while others made them optional. JB Pritzker announced that the statewide mask mandate that requires face coverings in public indoor settings will be lifted Monday, Feb. 28. "I chose to head to the auditorium without my mask on and really didn't want to go home, I felt it was our right to stay here without our masks per the ruling on a Friday," said senior Sydney Pjesky. 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. J.B. Pritzker's emergency rules for COVID-19 mitigations in schools "null and void,", New Ranking Names Most Expensive Cities In Illinois and These Chicago Suburbs Top the List, Chicago Suburb Lands on List of Happiest Places to Live,' Another Midwest City Makes Top 10, Chicago-Area Counties Under Winter Storm Advisories and Warnings, Stomach Bug Cases Surging, Sending People to Emergency Rooms in Chicago Area. Prolific anti-COVID mitigation attorney Tom DeVore on Monday filed suit over Gov. Students crave consistency, but Judge Grischows Feb. 4 decision to enter a TRO in the case sent schools into chaos," Griffin noted. Pritzker had harsh wordsfor the judge's decision and quickly urged the state's attorney general's office to appeal, suggesting the ruling could spark another surge in the virus. Full Statement from Illinois Federation of Teachers. It was a regular school day inside. Geneva Community United School District 304 said it will cancel classes Monday, explaining implementing an emergency day is in its best interest. McHenry County school districts named in the suit include Algonquin-based School District 300, Crystal Lake School District 47, Crystal Lake District 155, Cary School District 26, Huntley School District 158, McHenry School District 15 and Woodstock School District 200. Heres what we know so far. The restraining order, which went into effect Friday afternoon, voidedemergency rules from the Illinois Board of Education requiring regular testing or proof of vaccination from school staff. The state of Illinois announced it will appeal the decision. Many others have moved swiftly to lift the mask mandate. "More than 700 Illinois parents brought legal action on behalf of their children, carrying out their parental duty to protect their children, and, indeed, all children of this State, from further transgressions by the executive branch of government," part of the statement read. While the courts have settled that question in Pritzkers favor, DeVores suit over the school mask mandate alleges the IEMAA doesnt allow a governor to usurp the authority of school districts. In part, the law says it has general supervision of the interests of the health, and lives of the people of the state. "We have had parent contact at board meetings and had conversations with a variety of parents, including the ones listed not all of them but also additional parents who have shared their concerns on both sides of the issue with the district," O'Laughlin said. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. FOR WHICH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS CAN BASE THEIR. That wouldn't affect schools or congregate settings like hospitals and long-term care facilities. Masks optional but encouraged. The board added that they encourage everyone to wear a mask due to high transmission rates in schools. In part, the order said the students named in the case cant be excluded from in-person learning without consent or a quarantine order from the health department. 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. Now that the judge has made her widely-anticipated ruling, what are the next steps? J.B. Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the . Grischow's temporary restraining order blocks the nearly 170 school districts named in DeVore's lawsuits from enforcing mask requirements and exclusion rules for students and . Crystal LakeElementary District 47issued a similar message explaining "face masks will be strongly recommended but not required at school and at all school-related events for staff and students, as well as visitors and volunteers.". "The grave consequence of this misguided decision is that schools in these districts no longer have sufficient tools to keep students and staff safe while COVID-19 continues to threaten our communities - and this may force schools to go remote," said Governor JB Pritzker. On Tuesday, the General Assembly's Joint Committee on Administrative Rulesrejected an emergency rule proposed by IDPH which would have outlined the requirements for schools to "exclude" certain students based on their exposure to COVID-19as well as require masks for students and teachers. JB Pritzkers mandate requiring all students, faculty and staff at Illinois schools wear masks in the face of the coronavirus more contagious Delta variant spreading across the state. J.B. Pritzker's administration are asking a state appellate court to set aside a lower court order from late Friday that invalidated the mask School systems cannot require masks, but individuals may choose to wear masks. The order was the result of. 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. It also voids rules from theIllinois Department of Public Health outlining a schools obligation to exclude students from school who have confirmed cases of COVID-19 or are a close contact to someone with COVID-19. "I think it's the wrong call.". Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. A few days later, however, District 12 in Breese a pre-K through 8th grade district announced it was going mask-optional for the upcoming school year. Craven said schools are different because most younger students are unvaccinated or can't be vaccinated age-wise and movement is different in schools versus workplaces. Some said they will continue to strongly encourage their use, others that these are decisions that should be made at home, like the Superintendent of Timothy Christian Schools in Elmhurst. Cary School District 26 has about 2,400 students. A Michigan judge on Friday dismissed a school district and its employees as defendants in two wrongful death lawsuits stemming from a deadly 2021 mass shooting by a 15-year-old student armed with a gun his parents had bought him for Christmas. Pritzker said the. Sangamon . Update on Court Case and Masking in D128: https://t.co/Vz0Dxo097T. Attorney General Kwame Raoul agreed with Pritzker that the ruling would make it more difficult to protect students and school employees from the virus, and said he would appeal. (CNN/WSIL) -- A group of parents in Illinois have filed a lawsuit against nearly 150 school districts and public officials challenging mask and quarantine policies. 2 in September. Those who are exempt dont have to wear masks. Pritzker on Monday encouraged those districts to continue, Ruling on Illinois School Mask Mandate Lawsuit NBC Chicago, Ruling on Illinois School Mask Mandate Lawsuit: What to Know So Far A downstate Illinois judge made a ruling late last week that effectively prohibits a statewide mask requirement in schools, sparking plenty of confusion from school districts across the state.

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