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The U.S. Education Department investigating Florida over school mask mandate ban

Miami Herald - 9/10/2021

President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday initiated an investigation into Florida’s ban on mask mandates in schools.

The investigation will focus on whether the state’s mask orders violate federal civil rights laws that protect students with disabilities, the U.S. Department of Education’s civil rights head wrote to Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran on Friday.

A week and a half ago, the department said it had opened investigations in five other states over the same issue but Florida was not in the group because court orders had blocked the state from enforcing the state’s prohibition on universal mask mandates in schools.

Hours after a Tallahassee-based appeals court ruled the state could continue enforcing its mask orders while a legal challenge continues, the department’s Office of Civil Rights informed Corcoran that it had launched a probe into the matter.

Parents of students with disabilities have already sued Gov. Ron DeSantis, Corcoran and the Florida Department of Education in Miami federal court, contending that DeSantis’ executive order prohibiting school districts from mandating students wear masks puts their children at risk in schools amid the coronavirus pandemic and violates the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ press secretary Christina Pushaw responded to the federal investigation in a defiant tone on social media.

“Bring it,” Pushaw posted on Twitter minutes after the Biden administration made the announcement. “Florida and @GovRonDeSantis will continue to stand up for parents’ rights against federal government overreach.”

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

©2021 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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