By Kevin McLaughlin
Monday evening, a Nassau County Supreme Court judge decided a case involving a challenge to the indoor mask mandate in public schools in New York. This decision indicates that schools are no longer allowed to force students to wear masks in school buildings.
Governor Kathy Hochul had a mandate put in place through December that students in all public schools have to wear a mask. This was later extended until February 1st. State Supreme Court Justice Thomas Rademaker states that Ms. Hochul and state health officials “lacked the authority to enact the mask mandate without the approval of state lawmakers, and that it violated the state constitution.”
It is expected that the law will be enforced correctly sometime in the near future, as Governor Hochul said her and her office would be “pursuing every option to reverse this immediately”.
Some members of the IHS community elected not to wear a mask today in school buildings, and cannot be punished for it.
Dr. Harrison sent an email to parents this morning, saying that students and staff are not required to wear masks at this time. He also added, “I ask that all school community members kindly consider that many individuals feel safer when around others who are also wearing a mask.”
There should be an update on this matter soon, likely one that enforces the ruling that masks are required to be worn in public schools.
