Two California parent groups filed a lawsuit against Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday following updated guidelines from state health officials to have students wear face masks at school when they return in person this fall.
Let Them Breathe and Reopen California Schools filed the lawsuit in San Diego County Superior Court against the governor, along with State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomas Aragón, Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly and Dr. Naomi Bardach, an advisor to the state on school pandemic safety, according to the Mercury News.
The complaint alleges that the state masking rules for all students regardless of vaccination status is not based on scientific research and can impede education.
All K-12 students and adults in K-12 school settings are required to wear masks indoors when students are present. But it’s up to local schools or districts to determine how to handle students who refuse to comply with the mask rules. The school guidance from the California Department of Public Health also aligns with recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
“A return to a normal school year is crucial to the mental and physical health recovery for students across California who have endured months of isolation,” said Jonathan Zachreson, founder of Reopen California Schools, an advocacy organization of nearly 16,000 California public school parents.