Pritzker said the. 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.". J.B. Pritzker's emergency rules for COVID-19 mitigations in schools "null and void," effectively stopping the state's mask mandate in school buildings. Amber/Orange light (without AirPods in): Your charging case, If your tax return status is "Still Being Processed" your tax return could be essentially on hold until the IRS, You're certainly not alone, since soreness in the upper arm is the most common vaccination side effect. The order was the result of. That includes going forward with a "mask recommended" policy. Chicago Public Schools to continue mask mandate | WBEZ Chicago 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. J.B. Pritzker in October 2021. 2 in September. "Why are you continuing to enforce a mandate that is null and void?" J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education last year, arguing there was no due process in Illinois' statewide mask order. MACOUPIN CO., Ill. (WCIA)- A long list of parents filed a lawsuit against 145 school districts in Illinois Wednesday. Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow heard oral arguments last week in a class action . Illinois Court Temporarily Blocks Mandated COVID-19 Mitigation Measures Despite the IEMAAs silence on school districts, DeVores suit points to the legislatures creation of the Illinois School Code and the invention of local school districts themselves as evidence enough that local school boards are the only entity with the authority to adopt and enforce all necessary rules for the management and governance of the public schools of their district.. By. Follow heron Facebook.com/leslie.renken. Geneva District 304 has declared Monday an emergency day as the schools work out what they will do regarding masks, officials announced Sunday night. But on July 27, the CDC reversed its guidance, recommending masking in schools, even for for fully vaccinated people, as the Delta variant rises and new studies were published about the possibility of rare breakthrough infections due to the strain's mutation. An Illinois appellate court late Thursday evening dismissed Gov. Contact StevenSpearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie. That happened in Bond County. Some of the parents in the complaint shared their views on the issue prior to filing the complaint, said O'Laughlin. | Provided Photo. 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. COVID vaccine: Hundreds of Peoria teachers, staff haven't taken COVID vaccine, district says. School districts and private businesses can continue to require masks at their discretion. Early in July, the Centers for Disease Control released guidance for schools, which only recommended masks for unvaccinated individuals. J.B. Pritzker's COVID-19 mask mandate was authorized illegally prompted chaos and confusion Monday morning at school districts across Illinois, as. Those who are exempt dont have to wear masks. When it comes to relaxing mitigations in schools, Fauci said, "We're not there yet. "I think they should follow health recommendations, which right now say kids should be in a mask<' said Reid McCollum, pro-mask parent. READ: Judge Raylene Grischows full ruling here. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. The administration is working with (Attorney General Kwame Raoul)to request an expedited review of this decision from the (Illinois) Supreme Court. CHICAGO (WLS) -- A downstate attorney is asking for a temporary restraining order against Chicago Public Schools over their continued requirement for face masks. Prolific anti-COVID mitigation attorney Tom DeVore on Monday filed suit over Gov. It was a regular school day inside. 20. 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 school mask mandate ends after appellate court ruling 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. JB Pritzker. "We recognize the challenges this decision may have on our families, but given the fluidity of the situation we strongly feel that this time is necessary to effectively plan for any potential impact on our students, staff, and school community," said Dr. Kent Mutchler, superintendent. "Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pritzker administration has implemented mitigations and programming to protect the health and safety of students, teachers, and staff in schools. The Illinois Supreme Court granted Gov. A bright spot in the decision clarifies for which parties the TRO applies. However, the more contagious Delta variant currently spreading has proven to infect children at higher rates that previous strains of COVID, and children with COVID have ended up hospitalized more frequently in recent weeks than at any time since the outbreak began. "You have all shown your true colors. I know there was a lot of discussion going on outside of the school walls. Well over 100 school districts in Illinois were sued in the lawsuit. 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. ", Abudayyeh said the governor "was encouraged that the court made it clear that school districts can continue to keep their own mitigations in place.". Rochester Superintendent Dan Cox said he communicated with parents and guardians after the TRO was announced. 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. 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, Pritzker said. Illinois continues school mask mandate despite court ruling - Chalkbeat 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. The state of Illinois plans to appeal the decision, Pritzker said late Friday, calling the judges decision misguided., Parents sue Pritzker, 16 school districts in Lake and McHenry , Parents sue Pritzker, 16 school districts in Lake and McHenry counties over mask mandate, COVID rules File Photo Gov. 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. For others, the mask optional decision was long overdue. "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. Illinois schools were scrambling to react after a ruling by a downstate judge Friday placed a temporary restraining order on Gov. All rights reserved, Indiana State Trooper Struck and Killed by Suspect During Police Chase, Chicago FOP Lodge Reelects John Catanzara as President. All this is prompted by Gov. DeVore rose to prominence among conservatives last year for filing numerous lawsuits against Pritzkers administration for COVID mitigations, most famously a suit that freed just one person State Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) from the governors stay-at-home orders. There are exceptions. 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. Though the statewide mask mandate . 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. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. 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. The judge filed a temporary restraining order against Bond CountyCommunity UnitSchool DistrictNo. All rights reserved, A downstate Illinois judge issued a ruling declaring Gov. 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. According to the ruling, such agreements remain enforceable, like the one between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union. 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. Vaccinations, boosters, mask-wearing and testing are the key to keeping schools open and to maintaining safety standards for staff and students alike. The ruling comes in light of a legislative committee Tuesdaynot renewing the mask mandate requested by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Patti Rojek told her 13-year-old son Sam to keep wearing his. A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Gov. ", According to these parents, Pritzker has continuously issued, "one-man edicts, mandates, orders, and one size fits all guidance," throughout the pandemic. Illinois school mask mandate temporarily blocked by courts SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - A downstate judge has granted a temporary restraining order against mask mandates for 140 school districts throughout the state. 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. legislative committee Tuesdaynot renewing the mask mandate, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. What to know about the ruling on Illinois school mask mandate lawsuit IL schools blocked from enforcing COVID-19 mitigations | wqad.com - WFAA pencils, books and now a new addition to the back-to-school shopping list: a mask. Hannah covers state government and politics for NPR Illinois and Illinois Public Radio. The state of Illinois announced it will appeal the decision,with Pritzker late Friday calling the ruling "misguided.". The TRO granted by 7th Judicial Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow in Sangamon County court covered separate lawsuits, but it did declare the emergency rules implemented by IDPH and the Illinois State Board of Education on Sept. 17 regarding mask mandates for students and teachers "void" and that school districtsmay "govern themselves accordingly.". Hinsdale District 181 schools also declare an emergency due to the mask ruling and will be going remote Monday, officials said. "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. HIRING! It was later moved to Grischow's courtroom in Sangamon County. The court meets in Springfield. 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. Some Illinois parents are urging their kids to go to school without a mask today to protest Gov. 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. It is not the children you care about.". In St. Charles, district officials have also decided to cancel classes and use an emergency day Monday. Attorney General Raoul officially filed an appeal Monday morning. Illinois school districts will be deciding whether or not to make masks optional after a judge ruled against the state's mandate. KalegNar 1 yr. ago. Missouri Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt completed on Friday a promise made earlier this week by filing lawsuits against 36 public school districts for requiring masks. JB Pritzker said the governor was "disappointed" with the decision and saidheplanned to appeal. Illinois judge hears arguments in lawsuit claiming due process