A U.S. District Court judge has dismissed the lawsuit about masking mandates brought in September against local school districts by a newly-formed parent organization.
The suit was dismissed Monday, Nov. 29, allowing current mask mandates in Northland schools to remain in place. In Platte County, Park Hill and Platte County R-3 were named in the suit.
On its social media, Northland Parent Association, which filed the suit and has also launched campaigns regarding the content of books in school libraries, stated “this isn’t over.”
Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas, who was also named in the suit, tweeted his public response to the news: “I thank the Kansas City attorney’s office for their successful defense of the mask rules to help fight the spread of COVID in schools among our young people, Their safety is paramount, particularly as we face new variants.”
There were 20 counts alleged in the suit, ranging from violation of state religious freedom protections, unauthorized practice of medicine, failure to follow proper procedure before implementing policy, violation of the state equal protection clause and violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Various counts are alleged against specific school districts based upon their individual policies, with some including all defendants.
“Schools have failed to consider that mask mandates disproportionally impact younger students, English learner students and students with special needs,” said Northland Parent Association president Jay Richmond in a press release issued in September. “The policies do not permit medical or religious exemptions and contribute to a negative learning environment. COVID-19 transmission rates among children are low and we must stand up and protect our children against government overreach and keep parents at the center of their children’s care.”
Both Park Hill and Platte County R-3 were accused of not allowing for religious, medical or conscientious objections to masking and that administrators are allowed arbitrary discretion to either allow or deny exemptions.