The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal lawsuit over a South Carolina law that bans school districts from imposing mask mandates.
The lawsuit argues the ban effectively excludes vulnerable students from public schools and disproportionately impacts students with underlying health conditions or disabilities, who are at risk of becoming seriously ill if they contract COVID-19.
South Carolina legislators included a provision in the state’s general budget that prevented school districts from using state funding to mandate masks in schools.
Gov. Henry McMaster has said parents should have the choice of whether or not children should wear masks in schools.
South Carolina is one of seven states that have implemented rules that effecrtively ban on mask mandates. The others are Florida, Texas, Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Iowa. Arizona’s prohibition on mask mandates takes effect Sept. 29.
In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order that requires districts to allow parents to make the decision on whether their children wear masks in schools.
Several Florida districts have defied DeSantis' order and are requiring masks with only medical exemptions. Two lawsuits against the state — including one in federal court — claim DeSantis' executive order is unconstitutional.
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