Mask debate moves from school boards to courtrooms

Aug 31, 20210

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FILE- In this Monday, Aug. 23, 2021, file photo, Carol Basilio, right, hugs her daughter Giovanna outside of iPrep Academy on the first day of school, in Miami. A judge has ruled that Florida school districts may impose mask mandates. Leon County Circuit Judge John C. Cooper on Friday agreed with a group of parents who claimed in a lawsuit that Gov. Ron DeSantis' ban on the mandates is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) - The rancorous debate over whether returning students should wear masks in the classroom has moved from school boards to courtrooms.

In at least 14 states, lawsuits have been filed either for or against masks in schools. In some cases, normally rule-enforcing school administrators are finding themselves fighting state leaders.

Legal experts say that while state laws normally trump local control, legal arguments from mask proponents have a good chance of coming out on top. But amid protests and even violence over masks around the United States, the court battle is just beginning.

https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-health-coronavirus-pandemic-school-boards-f59c2d847a8528b6ea472260f7998bd6