The class action lawsuit against 140 school districts around Illinois was filed Wednesday at the Macoupin County courthouse in Carlinville. 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.". The parents from District 203 read from the temporary restraining order. This Executive Order from Gov. Context: The protest unfolds as a Sangamon County circuit court judge prepares to rule on a lawsuit against 146 Illinois school districts mostly downstate but including CPS that challenges the mandate. Mask protest planned at Illinois schools - Axios Chicago However, the district explained there are students who have exceptions as they are included in the lawsuit in which the TRO was issued. What exactly happened with the ruling? The Illinois Supreme Court granted Gov. Parents from Dunlap, two school districts in Metamora, Germantown Hills, Eureka, Brimfield, Mortonand Limestone in Bartonville are named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit.The 11-county complaint names 140 school districts, Gov. This decision sends the message that all students do not have the same right to safely access schools and classrooms in Illinois, particularly if they have disabilities or other health concerns, Raoul said in a statement. -Hinsdale/Clarendon Hills School District 181- Open Tuesday. How many Illinois school districts are mask optional? That happened in Bond County. 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. Lawsuit Seeks to Strike School Mask Mandate | Chicago News | WTTW 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. 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. "We have medications that can address the issue. Illinois school mask mandate temporarily blocked by courts 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. Hundreds of thousands of students, teachers, and staff across Illinois are doing their best to remain healthy and keep schools open. says it does have that power under the Department of Public Health Act. TAYLOR RIDGE, Ill. Mask requirements, quarantine, COVID-19 vaccination mandates, and testing rules are temporarily blocked for Illinois schools following a judge's ruling on Feb 4. "Its far past time we restore the system of self-governance upon which this nation was founded. "Based on the wording of the temporary restraining order we believe we still have the authority to enforce mask wearing as part of our local mitigation efforts, and again, the local bargaining agreements that we have that compel us to provide a safe environment for our employees to work," U-46 Superintendent Tony Sanders said. Illinois school mask mandate ends after appellate court ruling 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. Will County school districts take different approaches after Downstate PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) Several Central Illinois school districts are reacting to a ruling from a judge temporarily lifting COVID-related mandates in schools. Schools without mask mandates face penalties from the state education board. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education last year, arguing there was no due process in Illinois' statewide mask order. 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 restraining order issued Feb. 4 barring schools from enforcing it was dismissed. "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. 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. A downstate Illinois judge issued a ruling declaring Gov. Parents from Dunlap, two school districts in Metamora, Germantown Hills, Eureka, Brimfield, Mortonand Limestone in Bartonville are named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Meanwhile, Chicago Public Schools said it will continue to require masks, as will U-46 in Elgin. Pritzker to end school mask mandate on Monday after CDC eases On Wednesday, Illinois Gov. Parents lash out at Naperville school board meeting after district decides to keep requiring masks. CPS said in a statement last week that the court's ruling does not prohibit the school district from continuing its COVID-19 mitigation policies and procedures, including universal masking, and that the district "will stay the course.". pencils, books and now a new addition to the back-to-school shopping list: a mask. Recently, the State provided 350,000 rapid tests to Chicago Public Schools to facilitate a return to in person learning.To increase access to the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccination, the State has held 1,767 on-site vaccination clinics in schools and day camps with an additional 470 clinics already scheduled. Illinois school mask mandate lawsuit: What you need to know about a . It's a big change for students and parents at Robert Frost Junior High School in Schaumburg. 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. Local school districts react to Illinois' temporary restraining order Rochester Superintendent Dan Cox said he communicated with parents and guardians after the TRO was announced. (The Center Square) - The case with more than 700 parents suing more than 140 school districts over mask and exclusion policies implemented on school children continues. It's just a piece of paper.". The administration is working with (Attorney General Kwame Raoul)to request an expedited review of this decision from the (Illinois) Supreme Court. Gov. Per saperne di pi su come utilizziamo i tuoi dati personali, consulta la nostra Informativa sulla privacy e la nostra Informativa sui cookie. 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. 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.". But Joliet Public Schools District 86 told parents on Sunday it will continue to require masks in all of its buildings since the district was not named in the lawsuit challenging the mask mandate that resulted in the restraining order. 2023 www.sj-r.com. According to the ruling, collectively-bargained agreements remain enforceable, like the one between CPS and the Chicago Teachers Union. Restaurant vaccine mandate, indoor mask rules could end 'soon' if COVID cases stay in free fall. Illinois school districts will be deciding whether or not to make masks optional after a judge ruled against the state's mandate. Illinois continues school mask mandate despite court ruling - Chalkbeat "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. Vaccinations, boosters, mask-wearing and testing are the key to keeping schools open and to maintaining safety standards for staff and students alike. . Dozens of students showed up at Naperville schools Monday maskless. Sangamon . It also says its unlawful to require masks as a type of treatment without parental consent or a quarantine order from the courts. Out of 850 school district in Illinois, more than 145 districts have filed a lawsuit against Governor JB Pritzker's mask mandate for schools. 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. The outcome of the lawsuit will impact school districts across the state, including in Central Illinois. More than 700 parents took part in the lawsuit, claiming local health department should have authority to quarantine or mandate masks, not the schools. Lawsuit filed against 140 Illinois school districts over COVID rules SEE ALSO | Restaurant vaccine mandate, indoor mask rules could end 'soon' if COVID cases stay in free fall. 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. Schools in Roscoe and Rockton handle judge's mask ruling in very 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. She said her kids will continue wearing their masks. One of the cases DeVore is representing parents in actually sparked this newest lawsuit and the largest complaint filed yet. "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. Pritzker's administration quickly adopted the new guidelines. Location may have been the reasoning, DeVore added, but he said he cant remember who suggested Macoupin County. Early in July, the Centers for Disease Control released guidance for schools, which only recommended masks for unvaccinated individuals. 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. 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. Between vitriol, tears and begging for mask choice, just a few parents and a teacher stepped up to back the board's decision to keep masks mandatory for now. list of schools in illinois mask lawsuit in 2023 - DOHONGSEO It is composed of seven judges and encompasses 31 counties across a band of the state. Pritzker added it didn't stop businesses or local governments from creating and enforcing mask requirements. SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (WLS) -- An Illinois judge's 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. Illinois schools temporarily blocked from enforcing mask mandates and The class action lawsuit against 140 school districts. ""We remain committed to defending Gov. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Gov. Abbott prohibits mask mandates by local governments including school districts. Other parents who added their names to the complaint include six from Germantown Hills School District 69; 13from Eureka Community Unit District 140; 10 from Metamora Community Consolidated School District 1; seven from Brimfield Community Unit School District 309; nine from Morton Community Unit School District 709; four from Limestone Community High School District 310. Cox said he didn't seeany problems in schools after the TRO basically made mask wearing unenforceable. JB Pritzker. "Until somebody tells us otherwise, we're going to follow the mandates that the Governor, IDPH and ISBE have put out, and if there is a court order, then the court order trumps that until it's actually litigated. And we will stand with our local unions to protect our members and the students they serve. 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. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health have won an injunction against three school districts who said they did not need to mandate face masks for in-person learning . 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, he said. The lawsuit demands that county health departments issue guidance on masks, in-person learning and quarantining students instead of state leaders and school districts. 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. 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. The Illinois attorney general is seeking an expedited appeal of the restraining order from theFourth District Illinois Appellate Court,according to a statement from Gov. J.B. Pritzker's COVID-19 mask mandate was authorized illegally prompted chaos and confusion Monday morning at school districts across Illinois, as. 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. READ: Judge Raylene Grischow's full ruling here. 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 court also disposed of Pritzker's contention that his executive orders, despite the JCAR ruling, were still in effect. The Score | Week 9 high school basketball games, stats and scores from the Quad Cities, Thousands pack Wharton Field House to watch Moline punch their ticket to the Elite Eight. Illinois mask mandate will lift for residents Feb. 28, but students will have to continue wearing masks at schools. "This decision sends the message that all students do not have the same right to safely access schools and classrooms in Illinois, particularly if they have disabilities or other health concerns. The lawsuit against the 146 schooldistricts was originally filed in Macoupin County in October. "We have zero documentation other than what we've found online," saidSean OLaughlin on Thursday afternoon. 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. All rights reserved, Indiana State Trooper Struck and Killed by Suspect During Police Chase, Chicago FOP Lodge Reelects John Catanzara as President. However, the state health dept. Five days later, Pritzker's statewide school mask mandate undid that decision, including for the child of the plaintiff in DeVore's case. J.B. Pritzker, ISBE and 16 school districts in Lake and McHenry counties over the states school mask mandate and other COVID rules. COVID vaccine: Hundreds of Peoria teachers, staff haven't taken COVID vaccine, district says. Governor Pritzker has asked the Illinois Attorney General's office for an immediate appeal of Judge Grischow's decision to restrain the State from enforcing the safety measures aimed at protecting teachers, school personnel, students and communities from COVID-19.The Attorney General is seeking an expedited appeal from the Fourth District Illinois Appellate Court. Gov. By. Some districts are put in a different situation due to collective bargaining agreements. ", "We feel our original masking policy would have been appropriate as it allowed everyone to make their own decisions," Schmale wrote. Because it will never be perfect.". More than two dozen Illinois school districts are on probation after flouting the statewide mask requirements for staff and students inside schools. "We have wide spaces (and) large classrooms. 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 . Read the Full Text: Judge's Ruling Halts Illinois School Mask Mandate 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 state's largest school district on Saturday said it would continue a mask mandate in its schools, along with staff vaccination and testing requirements, despite a ruling Friday by a. Rockridge School District released a statement, saying they are reviewing the judge's decision and will provide an update "as soon as possible.". J.B. Pritzker, State Superintendent of . Prolific anti-COVID mitigation attorney Tom DeVore on Monday filed suit over Gov. He said it was decided in a discussion he had with a member of the attorney generals team. The state's second largest school district will have an exemption for a handful of students whose parents were part of the lawsuit, but that's it. "Really, the sole purpose of the plan is to provide stability for our schools so we don't get caught in this flipping back and forth between legal cases because those are out of our control and we wanted to focus on what we could control," Cox said. A dozen parents or guardians from District 122 were named in the complaint. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. "I have a daughter that is a little speech delayed. HIRING! The state of Illinois announced it will appeal the decision,with Pritzker late Friday calling the ruling "misguided.". The lawsuit was filed in downstate Macoupin County on Oct. 20, by attorneys Tom Devore, Jeffrey Mollet and Erik D. Hyam, of the Silver Lake Group, of Greenville. "Their goal is to intimidate you," one parent said. 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. What to know about the ruling on Illinois school mask mandate lawsuit Pritzker said the. A hearing before Seventh Circuit Judge April Troemper is set for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 5 in Carlinville. Police are still ticketing students in Illinois schools. A new bill There are exceptions. J.B. Pritzker's statewide mask mandate. In Schaumburg's District 54, masks in school are now optional. Biden announces aggressive new, Newsfeed Now: Biden to launch new plan against COVID-19, Newsfeed Now: Health experts concerned about COVID-19, Newsfeed Now: Pres. Since the TRO was issued, most local and area school districts, including Springfield District 186, Ball-Chatham and Rochester, have "encouraged" or recommended wearing of masks. "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. Oswego Community Unit School District 308 said it was "consulting with our district attorneys to further understand the impact of the decision for our students and staff.". "I'm not sure who you represent but it is not us," said another parent. It's something small that's working.". A judge's recent ruling that Gov. This shows yet again that the mask mandate and school exclusion protocols are essential tools to keep schools open and everyone safe. School districts across Illinois are going mask optional Metro East schools make policy changes after Illinois judge's - KSDK 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.