A judge temporarily blocked Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s order to make masks in schools optional

A judge temporarily blocked Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s order to make masks in schools optional

A Circuit Court judge granted seven school districts their request to have GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin's mask-optional mandate be temporarily barred, several outlets reported. On January 15, Youngkin signed an executive order that would allow parents to opt-out of compulsory mask rules for their kids in school. The order went into effect on January 24. "There is no greater priority than the health and welfare of Virginia's children. Under Virginia law, parents, not the government, have the fundamental right to make decisions concerning the care of their children," the said. Several school districts criticized the measure, including Psaki spoke out in defense of the school's stance: "Thank you to @APSVirginia for standing up for our kids, teachers and administrators and their safety in the midst of a transmissible variant," Psaki said in a last month. On January 24, Alexandria City, Arlington County, Richmond City, Fairfax County, Falls Church City, Hampton City, and Prince William County filed a lawsuit with the Circuit Court for the County of Arlington, reported. reported that on Friday, Arlington Circuit Court Judge Louise DiMatteo ruled in their favor. DiMatteo said the state' constitution gives local school boards the authority to make decisions about health and safety