A Sangamon County judge issued the order after 145 school districts, including Rockridge, were named in a lawsuit in October 2021. 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. What the ruling does. One of the cases DeVore is representing parents in actually sparked this newest lawsuit and the largest complaint filed yet. JBPritzker,Illinois State Board of Education superintendent Carmen Ayala and Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, as defendants. 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 in a statement. Pritzker's administration quickly adopted the new guidelines. CHICAGO (WLS) -- A downstate attorney is asking for a temporary restraining order against Chicago Public Schools over their continued requirement for face masks. Hundreds of thousands of students, teachers, and staff across Illinois are doing their best to remain healthy and keep schools open. Chicago Public Schools and its 350,000 students will continue masking. "Within her ruling, Judge Grischow, recognizes the independent authority of school districts," Supt. Rock Island-Milan School District to begin COVID-19 testing for students and staff, Pritzker announces paid COVID leave for vaccinated IL school employees, 'People are burnt out': Staff shortages at IL schools have teachers stretched thin. For one thing, what she issued was only a temporary restraining order, expecting a final decision later. A hearing before Seventh Circuit Judge April Troemper is set for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 5 in Carlinville. According to the ruling, such agreements remain enforceable, like the one between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union. Pritzker. Grischow's temporary restraining order blocks the nearly 170 school districts named in DeVore's lawsuits from enforcing mask requirements and exclusion rules for students and . There are exceptions. The lawsuit contended that IDPH and ISBE are not lawful authoritieson which school districts can base mask and exclusion policies. Robert Frost 8th grader Teresa Watson said she wants to see how the mask optional policy goes. Local The ruling announced Friday afternoon states defendants are temporarily restrained from, Read the Full Text: Judge's Ruling Halts Illinois School Mask , Read the Full Text: Judges Ruling Halts Illinois School Mask Mandate Published February 5, 2022 Updated on February 5, 2022 at 6:54 pm NBC Universal, Inc. A downstate Illinois judge issued a ruling declaring Gov. "It's time for kids out of masks. Community Consolidated School District 181, which has schools in Clarendon Hills, Hinsdale, and Burr Ridge, said Monday will be an emergency remote instruction day. 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. 20. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. A central Illinois judge has issued a temporary restraining order that prevents school districts statewide that were sued from requiring students to wear masks in classrooms . . The Good, Bad, Ugly In Renewed IL School Mask Debate While some districts continue to isolate students from class for not wearing masks, other schools across the state went mask optional this last week. Chicago Public Schools to continue mask mandate | WBEZ Chicago List of Schools with Masks Optional - 1340 WJOL Some districts are put in a different situation due to collective bargaining agreements. Mask-less Chicago Public Schools students sent home, but CPS CEO Pedro Lawsuit filed against 140 Illinois school districts over COVID , Parents file class action lawsuit against Peoria-area school districts over COVID rulesParents from eight Peoria-area school districts are participating in a lawsuit aimed at abolishing mask requirements in schools.The class action lawsuit against 140 school districts around Illinois was filed Wednesday at the Macoupin County courthouse in Carlinville. Cox said he didn't seeany problems in schools after the TRO basically made mask wearing unenforceable. 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. A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Gov. Weather explainer: What is a River Flood Warning? Their argument, in a nutshell, is if a school is going to order masks or remove a kid from school for not following COVID-19 policies, the district needs to get parental consent or a court order. 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. Prior to the ruling,NBC 5 talked to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, about the state of COVID-19 in Illinois. The restraining order, which went into effect Friday afternoon, voidedemergency rules from the Illinois Board of Education requiring regular testing or proof of vaccination from school staff. "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. While Pritzker will spill gallons on ink on the history of the COVID pandemic and how his administration has worked to keep people safe, none of this obfuscation is relevant to the precise question of what is the extent of his delegated power by the legislature under the [Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act], DeVote wrote in the 11-page complaint. Students crave consistency, but Judge Grischows Feb. 4 decision to enter a TRO in the case sent schools into chaos," Griffin noted. (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. The class action lawsuit against 140 school districts around Illinois was filed Wednesday at the Macoupin County courthouse in Carlinville. Last Friday, the judge in Sangamon County ruled against Governor JB Pritzker's mask mandate inside school buildings, in response to lawsuits involving parents and teachers from more than 150 districts. HIRING! Masks optional but encouraged. Pritzker announced on Feb. 9 a plan to rollback indoor mask requirements by the end of the month. Statutory rights have attempted to be bypassed through the issuance of executive orders and emergency rules, she stated in the 29-page order. J.B. Pritzker's mask mandate being found null and void by Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Raylene Grischow Feb. 4. 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.". NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | "They read the result of JCAR's action as the end of those emergency rules," Craven said, "and if they are no more, the court doesn't need to decide if they were valid or not.". A spokesperson for Pritzkers office could not be reached for comment Monday evening. J.B. Pritzker, ISBE and 16 school districts in Lake and McHenry counties over the states school mask mandate and other COVID rules. The group of parents released a statement on Oct. 25, 2021, through attorney Thomas DeVore regarding the lawsuit. This type of evil is exactly what the law was intended to constrain. Read the full ruling here. Their argument, in a nutshell, is if a school is going to order masks or remove a kid from school for not following COVID-19 policies, the district needs to get parental consent or a court order. But a just-filed lawsuit could void that statewide executive order. "I think they should follow health recommendations, which right now say kids should be in a mask<' said Reid McCollum, pro-mask parent. They were separated out and did e-learning activities. The high school parents challenging Illinois Gov. "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. People seem to be leaving to states with an improved business climate, lower taxes, and we would also say because that states with the worst government finances seem to be losing population the most, Weinberg said. Illinois judge blocks school mask mandate, state to appeal Read the Full Text: Judge's Ruling Halts Illinois School Mask Mandate Leslie Renken can be reached at(309) 370-5087orlrenken@pjstar.com. Only children 12 and over are currently eligible for COVID vaccines. 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. (The Center Square) - Students attending one of the 145 schools across Illinois who are part of a sweeping lawsuit won't have to wear a mask if they don't want to, unless they're given due process. "Mask mandates in schools are illegal, they simply don't work, and they contribute to alarming and negative psychological impacts on our children," Schmitt, a . It made sense to consolidate all of them, he said, except for two lawsuits outside of Central Illinois. Prolific anti-COVID mitigation attorney Tom DeVore on Monday filed suit over Gov. We believe what the judge ordered today is legally faulty and a threat to public health and, most importantly, a threat to keeping Illinois schools open for in-person learning. The order was the result of. 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. 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. Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Raylene Grischow heard oral arguments in the case earlier this month prior to granting the temporary restraining order. Dozens of students showed up at Naperville schools Monday maskless. Missouri AG Sues 36 School Districts with Mask Requirements, But Not You do not need to show proof of vaccination in Chicago and Cook County. The court also disposed of Pritzker's contention that his executive orders, despite the JCAR ruling, were still in effect. 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. Contact StevenSpearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie. The legislation remains the subject of advocacy and outrage in parent Facebook groups against masking in schools. One can only presume Pritzker is dissatisfied the legislature chose not to empower IDPH and ISBE with this authority, so he took it upon himself to pilfer the power of the legislature and for all intents and purposes made HB 2789 a law on his own, the suit said. MASK AND EXCLUSION POLICIES. "Our primary goal is to educate our kids and do that in a safe environment and that's something we've been doing, and we take very seriously.". 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. Illinois mask mandate will lift for residents Feb. 28, but students will have to continue wearing masks at schools. Meanwhile, Chicago Public Schools said it will continue to require masks, as will U-46 in Elgin. Sam said he is listening to his mom and the new rules have him worried. ", More:Illinois mask mandate for most indoor settings will be lifted by the end of the month. Reading lips is really important for her.". A Sangamon County judge has denied class action status for a lawsuit challenging Illinois' mask and vaccine mandates for school personnel. Part of the parents lawsuit argues that only local health departments have the authority to issue mask and quarantine orders under state statute. 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.". Judge blocks schools from enforcing Pritzker's mask, vaccine mandates "What we issued last night we did with full recognition that it's being appealed and that it is possible and likely that something will change," said Supt. Parents lash out at Naperville school board meeting after district decides to keep requiring masks. They must also have due process. Administration spokesperson Jordan Abudayyehsaid the governor was "concerned for the health of those in schoolsparticularly vulnerable children and adultsand the ability to continue in-person learning. The Illinois Supreme Court granted Gov. Early in July, the Centers for Disease Control released guidance for schools, which only recommended masks for unvaccinated individuals. Illinois school mask mandate ends after appellate court ruling The outcome of the lawsuit will impact school districts across the state, including in Central Illinois. "We're seeing it in so many places, tens of thousands of schools across the country, have been mask optional all year long.". , Springfield man accused of shooting at police, Champaign Police see success in reducing crime, Economy losing billions due to childcare, how Central, Mahomet man caught on the run, Lamborghini, Jeep, State Fire Marshall awards small equipment grants, Champaign teacher named finalist for Golden Apple, Lightning strikes away Mattoon womans petting zoo, NB I-57 fully open after semi-truck rollover, Back-to-back hurricanes more likely to happen: Study, Al-Qaida chiefs pattern of life was key to death, Missing Photo Found in Indiana Likely Lofted from, Newsfeed Now: Biden unveils $1.75 trillion spending, Newsfeed Now: Democrats push to wrap up negotiations, Newsfeed Now: FDA panel backs Pfizers low-dose COVID-19, Newsfeed Now: Industry peers angry over deadly movie, Newsfeed Now: Infrastructure Bill drawing toward, Newsfeed Now: FBI IDs remains of Brian Laundrie;, Newsfeed Now: FBI finds remains at Florida reserve, Newsfeed Now: School official under fire for Holocaust, Newsfeed Now: Gabby Petitos family wants vengeance, Newsfeed Now: Family says Gen. 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Illinois has about 850 districts "This is what the overwhelming majority of Chicago parents and families support.". Those who are exempt dont have to wear masks. Illinois, which has among the highest tax burdens in the nation, could be pricing people out. The board added that they encourage everyone to wear a mask due to high transmission rates in schools. J.B. Pritzker's ability to use emergency powers to cancel student sports and mandate athletes wear masks changed their lawsuit to try to block . 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. "I'm not sure who you represent but it is not us," said another parent. Same goes for certain school staff who don't want to take weekly COVID-19 tests for not being vaccinated. Parents file lawsuit against 145 school districts over COVID-19 ", "We feel our original masking policy would have been appropriate as it allowed everyone to make their own decisions," Schmale wrote. Our children deserve no less. Geneva District 304 has declared Monday an emergency day as the schools work out what they will do regarding masks, officials announced Sunday night. in all settings, including education. All Rights Reserved. Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow issued the order, which went into effect Friday afternoon, after Rockridge and 144 other state school districts were named ina lawsuit by over 700 parents against the IL State Board of Education, the state's health director and Gov. The local school districts named in the parents' lawsuit include Springfield Public School District 186 and Ball-Chatham School District 5 along with Carrollton, Mount Pulaski, Petersburg. I know there was a lot of discussion going on outside of the school walls. ", Governor JB Pritzker spoke about the ruling Monday morning at a press conference on preventing expressway shootings. "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. 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. 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.". Parents from Dunlap, two school districts in Metamora, Germantown Hills, Eureka, Brimfield, Mortonand Limestone in Bartonville are named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Follow heron Facebook.com/leslie.renken. All rights reserved, A downstate Illinois judge issued a ruling declaring Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who issued the mask mandate in August, said Thursday it's hard to say what the ruling will be. The IEMAA is largely silent on its applicability to school districts. Pritzker issued an executive order Aug. 26requiring masks in Illinois schools for teachers, students, staff and visitors. Rochester Superintendent Dan Cox said he communicated with parents and guardians after the TRO was announced. 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. You have all shown your true colors. Some 60% of new colorectal cancers in . The State has completed over 2 million COVID-19 tests in schools through the SHIELD program and sent more than a million rapid tests into schools outside of the City of Chicago. legislative committee Tuesdaynot renewing the mask mandate, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Arlington Heights School District 25 distributed a letter to parents saying it will be in a "mask recommended environment" - at least during the Temporary Restraining Order period. J.B. Pritzker, State Superintendent of .