Minnesota judge rejects attempt to force school mask mandate
In this Thursday, March 11, 2021 file photo, desks are arranged in a classroom at an elementary school in Nesquehoning, Pa. In the fall of 2021, vaccinated teachers and students should no longer wear masks inside school buildings and no one need bother with them outside, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday, July 9, 2021, in relaxing its COVID-19 guidelines.[AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File]
A Minnesota judge has rejected a request by concerned parents to force a statewide mask mandate in all schools.
Judge Thomas Gilligan said the court was "gravely concerned" about COVID-19 risks for children, but that the court lacks the legal authority to order Gov. Tim Walz to issue the directive that the parents sought.
In other states, governors who’ve tried to prevent schools from requiring masks have been blocked by courts.