Virginia school boards sue over mask-optional order

Seven school districts are suing newly sworn-in Gov. Glenn Youngkin over his executive order allowing parents to opt out of school mask mandates for their children. The districts collectively represent 350,000 students. The school boards said they should have the authority to enforce safety measures for teachers and staff. A new law passed last summer under the previous governor states Virginia school districts should follow federal health guidelines to the “maximum extent practicable.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children wear masks in K-12 schools regardless of vaccination status. Youngkin says the district should be doing more to respect parents’ rights.

What does this mean for students? After the order took effect Monday in districts that required masks, children not wearing them were asked either to sit in a different room and attend class online or their parents could pick them up. Some parents picketed outside schools or, like in Purcellville, cheered on students who did not wear masks as they entered the building. There were no reports of incidents requiring law enforcement. 

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Dunn’s report on critical staffing shortages in schools during this phase of the pandemic.