Pritzker had harsh wordsfor the judge's decision and quickly urged the state's attorney general's office to appeal, suggesting the ruling could spark another surge in the virus. "They read the result of JCAR's action as the end of those emergency rules," Craven said, "and if they are no more, the court doesn't need to decide if they were valid or not.". Pritzker announced on Feb. 9 a plan to rollback indoor mask requirements by the end of the month. Parents filed suit against more than 140 school districts, Gov. The appellate court affirmatively stated that the language of the TRO in no way restrains school districts from acting independently from the executive orders or the IDPH in creating provisions addressing COVID-19.". Lake County school districts named in the, Amber/Orange light (with AirPods in): Your AirPods are charging inside the case. MORE: Students walk out over COVID-19 in-person learning . More than two dozen Illinois school districts are on probation after flouting the statewide mask requirements for staff and students inside schools. It's a big change for students and parents at Robert Frost Junior High School in Schaumburg. In fact, the safety mitigations encompassed by the State's guidance, as well as vaccinations for children and adults, are the best ways to keep schools open and everyone healthy. Biden announces aggressive new, Newsfeed Now: Biden to launch new plan against COVID-19, Newsfeed Now: Health experts concerned about COVID-19, Newsfeed Now: Pres. This Executive Order from Gov. What exactly happened with the ruling? See also: Assistant school superintendent from Indiana lands top position with Ball-Chatham district. Now that the judge has made her widely-anticipated ruling, what are the next steps? J.B. Pritzker's move came hours after the Illinois Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal of a decision in a lawsuit challenging Pritzker's mask mandate. All parents want is a choice," said Jennifer Hildreth, anti-mask parent. "It's not that big of a deal in my opinion. A ruling on the order blocking the mask mandate in some schools could come as soon as Thursday The Illinois Association of School Administrators on Friday said about 700 districts it has. Help fund the NPR Illinois mission to inform the community by securing business sponsorships. Same goes for certain school staff who don't want to take weekly COVID-19 tests for not being vaccinated. Grischow's temporary restraining order blocks the nearly 170 school districts named in DeVore's lawsuits from enforcing mask requirements and exclusion rules for students and staff as well as. All rights reserved. Some Illinois parents are urging their kids to go to school without a mask today to protest Gov. Justices Thomas Harris and Lisa Holder White concurred in most parts. Per saperne di pi su come utilizziamo i tuoi dati personali, consulta la nostra Informativa sulla privacy e la nostra Informativa sui cookie. However, the district explained there are students who have exceptions as they are included in the lawsuit in which the TRO was issued. NBC 5 talked to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, about the state of COVID-19 in Illinois. The TRO granted by 7th Judicial Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow in Sangamon County court covered separate lawsuits, but it did declare the emergency rules implemented by IDPH and the Illinois State Board of Education on Sept. 17 regarding mask mandates for students and teachers "void" and that school districtsmay "govern themselves accordingly.". "You guys have kept school running. The parents from District 203 read from the temporary restraining order. One of the cases DeVore is representing parents in actually sparked this newest lawsuit and the largest complaint filed yet. It also says its unlawful to require masks as a type of treatment without parental consent or a quarantine order from the courts. Masks will continue to be required at the district except for the 11 students named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, the district's school board said in a letter to families Sunday that was provided to the Northwest Herald separately by two different parents. Please read an important update from Superintendent Sanders on our COVID mitigation strategies, including masks here https://t.co/jQBvX09xKh. Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. I know there was a lot of discussion going on outside of the school walls. CCDPH Mitigation Order 2021-10 was issued on August 23, 2021 and requires individuals age 2 and older to wear masks in indoor public settings, regardless of vaccination status. The state's largest school district on Saturday said it would continue a mask mandate in its schools, along with staff vaccination and testing requirements, despite a ruling Friday by a. Geneva Community United School District 304 said it will cancel classes Monday, explaining implementing an emergency day is in its best interest. This type of evil is exactly what the law was intended to constrain. Read the full ruling here. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of parents in 146 school districts in Macoupin County in mid-October last year. 2 in September. ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) Parents from 145 school districts in Illinois are suing Gov. Derik Holtmann dholtmann@bnd.com. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education last year, arguing there was no due process in Illinois' statewide mask order. "We now have vaccinations," said Robert Frost Junior High parent Brian Watson. A judge in downstate Sangamon County granted a temporary restraining order Friday effectively prohibiting mask requirements for students in numerous school districts across the state. TAYLOR RIDGE, Ill. Mask requirements, quarantine, COVID-19 vaccination mandates, and testing rules are temporarily blocked for Illinois schools following a judge's ruling on Feb 4. J.B. Pritzker. The lawsuit named at least 69 Chicago area school districts as defendants, including the Chicago Public Schools and districts from all regions of Chicago's suburbs. That happened in Bond County. Pritzker's administration quickly adopted the new guidelines. "Why are you continuing to enforce a mandate that is null and void?" Oswego Community Unit School District 308 said it was "consulting with our district attorneys to further understand the impact of the decision for our students and staff.". The school district appealed, and the Fifth District Appellate Court said the restraining order had, Illinois school mask mandate temporarily blocked by courts, Illinois schools temporarily blocked from enforcing mask mandates and vaccinationsA temporary restraining order issued Friday by Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge RayleneGrischow has reducedschools ability to require masks and vaccinations.The orderwas the result of severallawsuits broughtby Greenville attorney Thomas DeVore on behalf of several hundred parents and teachers from around the state. On Monday, Rochester's board of education met at a special meeting to pass a layered mitigation plan. Parents filed suit against more than 140 school districts, Gov. [Ruling on Illinois school mask mandate throws districts into chaos]There has been confusion about school mask and quarantine requirements since Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow issued the temporary restraining order Friday because several hundred Illinois school districts were not named in the litigation. "We're seeing it in so many places, tens of thousands of schools across the country, have been mask optional all year long.". Tony Sanders said in a letter to parents. Illinois schools from requiring people to wear face masks in classes and excluding students and staff from school buildings if they've had close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Pritzker responded to the ruling late Friday saying remote learning could take place due to the blocked mitigations. J.B. Pritzker in October 2021. PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) Several Central Illinois school districts are reacting to a ruling from a judge temporarily lifting COVID-related mandates in schools. "You have all shown your true colors. A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Gov. "In terms of the feedback we got, it was one of the best weeks of school we had in a long time. The Illinois Supreme Court granted Gov. Ketia Daniel, founder of BHM Cleaning Co., is BestReviews cleaning expert. The bicameral committee, made up of lawmakers from both parties, rejected the rule unanimously. This comes as school districts scrambled to reassess COVID mitigations after a judge granted a temporary injunction last week. The judge filed a temporary restraining order against Bond CountyCommunity UnitSchool DistrictNo. Neither Pritzkers office, nor the ISBE, immediately returned messages seeking comment. Five days later, Pritzker's statewide school mask mandate undid that decision, including for the child of the plaintiff in DeVore's case. The Illinois Federation of Teachers is greatly distressed at the judge's temporary restraining order (TRO) in this case. HIRING! The high school parents challenging Illinois Gov. It is not the children you care about.Im not sure who you represent but it is not us, said another parent.The parents from District 203 read from the temporary restraining order. Car dealership workers kidnapped, tortured in armed robbery: police, Woman buys new tires that turn out to be 9 years old. She's been dedicated to the statehouse beat since interning at NPR Illinois in 2014, with subsequent stops at outlets including WILL-AM/FM, Law360, The Daily Line and a temporary stint at political blog Capitol Fax before returning to the station in 2020. Restaurant vaccine mandate, indoor mask rules could end 'soon' if COVID cases stay in free fall. Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Raylene Grischow issued the order Friday afternoon in a lawsuit brought by hundreds of parents in more than 145 school districts who claim the mask order. The governor's office issued a news release saying schools may be forced to go remote if they don't have proper tools to keep students and staff safe. Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Raylene Grischow issued the order Friday afternoon in a lawsuit brought by hundreds of parents in more than 145 school districts who claim the mask order denies students due process. Some Rockford-area have decided to keep their existing mask rules in place, while others are modifying or lifting them for the time being. The judge argued those state offices would all be affected by the outcome of the case. Pritzker said the mandate would protect unvaccinated children and adults, as well as the elderly and others with reduced immune systems who are more likely to develop breakthrough infections of COVID-19 even after they get vaccinations. "We have heard from all sides throughout the pandemic about their feelings regarding masking and the quarantine.". "This decision sends the message that all students do not have the same right to safely access schools and classrooms in Illinois, particularly if they have disabilities or other health concerns. "However, this is no longer a policy at this time.". The ruling comes after parents from those . All rights reserved, Indiana State Trooper Struck and Killed by Suspect During Police Chase, Chicago FOP Lodge Reelects John Catanzara as President. The lawsuit was filed in downstate Macoupin County on Oct. 20, by attorneys Tom Devore, Jeffrey Mollet and Erik D. Hyam, of the Silver Lake Group, of Greenville. We insist that school districts statewide abide by existing agreements on health and safety. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health have won an injunction against three school districts who said they did not need to mandate face masks for in-person learning .