Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis files emergency appeal on school mask mandates [View all]

[Eugene]

Source: CNN

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis files emergency appeal on school mask mandates

By Mallory Simon, CNN
Updated 1839 GMT (0239 HKT) September 9, 2021

(CNN) — Lawyers for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have filed an emergency appeal with the First District Court of Appeals in Florida in hopes of halting school mask mandates while the case goes through the court system.

According to the court document, DeSantis' lawyers argue they "have a high likelihood of success on appeal. Therefore, the trial court abused its discretion in vacating the automatic stay, and this Court should reinstate the stay pending review."

DeSantis' attorneys filed the appeal Wednesday evening, after Second Circuit Judge John Cooper ruled against DeSantis, lifting an automatic stay triggered by the governor's appeal and allowing Florida schools to institute mask mandates while the case is appealed at a higher level.

The news comes amid showdowns between the state and some local school districts that have insisted on requiring students to wear masks as Covid-19 infections surge.

Two weeks ago, Cooper ruled that DeSantis had overreached when he issued an executive order in late July directing the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Department of Health to issue emergency rules giving parents a choice on whether their children should wear masks in class.

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Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/09/us/florida-desantis-appeal-schools-mask-mandate/index.html