RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that an executive order and new Virginia law allowing parents to opt their children out of classroom COVID-19 mask mandates cannot prevent 12 vulnerable students from seeking a “reasonable modification” that could include a requirement that their classmates wear masks.
Highlights
- A federal judge has ruled that an executive order and new Virginia law allowing parents to opt their children out of classroom COVID-19 mask mandates cannot prevent 12 vulnerable students from seeking a “reasonable modification” that could include a requirement that their classmates wear masks.
- The parents sued Republican Gov.
- Glenn Youngkin and other state officials in February, arguing that the mask-optional policy effectively excludes some disabled children from public schools, in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
- The plaintiffs were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, the Disability Law Center of Virginia and two private law firms.
- The judge wrote that the public interest is served by permitting their school districts to consider their individualized requests