US Appeals Court Rules to Reinstate Mask Mandate Ban in Florida Schools

Earlier in August, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order blocking the implementation of mask mandates in the Sunshine State, particularly in schools.

The US Appeals Court ruled in favour of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, allowing his administration to reinstate the mask mandate ban in the state and continue punishing officials who require masks anyway.

"We grant the appellants’ motion, quash the trial court’s order vacating the automatic stay, and reinstate the stay required by Florida Rule of Appelate Procedure 9.310(b)(2)..", the ruling said, siding with the Florida governor.

The decision of the Appeals Court has re-imposed a stay on Judge John C. Cooper's order that halted DeSantis' ban, while the case is set to continue its circulation through the courts.

The legal battle around DeSantis' mask mandate ban has continued since late August, with a Florida judge ruling that the Governor overstepped his authority with the executive order prohibiting mandatory face masks in public places, and some parents arguing that the ban potentially puts the health of their children at risk when it comes to masking at school.

According to the Miami Herald, thirteen of Florida’s 67 school districts have so far required mandatory face masks in defiance of DeSantis' order. The state responded by withholding school board members' salaries, but these fines are likely to be covered by federal money, since Joe Biden's Department of Education announced grants to support schools that defy the Florida order. The grant program has been dubbed Project SAFE (Supporting America's Families and Educators), and it is set to be funded under Title IV of the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Following the mask mandate that was introduced earlier in the year, the Biden administration rolled out a vaccination mandate on Thursday, requiring most federal employees to get inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine and scrapping the alternative of regular testing.