RICHMOND, Va. — On his first day in office, Governor Glenn Youngkin signed an executive order making masks optional in public schools. It was a move that was supported by a lot of parents, but was met with backlash by others.
Seven school boards, including Hampton, filed lawsuits challenging the order.
They argue that school boards should be able to make their own policies, and that the executive order violates state law.
A circuit court judge agreed. On Friday, that judge blocked Youngkin’s executive order.
The ruling is good decision according to parents like Kristen McDonald, who want schools to follow CDC guidelines that recommend anyone two years old and older wear a mask while inside a school.
“I think it sends a great message," McDonald said.
“I don’t want to have my son in a mask forever, I certainly don’t want him to wear a mask when we’re in a downward trend where there’s not a lot of active cases in the community and not a lot of transmission, but when we’re in a surge like we were when this E-O was put into place, that’s a terrible time to take away masks and it put a lot of us at risk.”
Jeremy Rodden, another parent and a substitute teacher, agrees.
“The powers of administrations of schools districts are clearly written in Virginia state law that it’s for the school boards," Rodden said. “I have an immunocompromised wife at home. I do not feel safe going into a classroom right now as a substitute and then potentially bringing something back to my wife.”
Parents who supported the governor’s optional mask order said health decisions for their children, including whether to wear masks, should be left up to them and not schools.
The governor's office has issued a statement on the ruling, saying Youngkin is committed to defending parents' rights and his team plans to appeal the decision.
A group of parents from Chesapeake also filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block the governor’s executive order, arguing that the governor does not have the authority to make masks optional in schools.
Attorney General Jason Miyares has moved to dismiss the lawsuit, saying the executive order restores the authority to parents.