Name: Connecticut parents file appeal in court seeking to overturn school mask requirement
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Connecticut parents file appeal in court seeking to overturn school mask requirement

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AdvertisementBy Hartford CourantAug 15, 2020 at 8:59 amTwo Connecticut parents have filed an appeal in state court arguing a Department of Education mandate that students returning to classrooms this fall wear face masks is unconstitutional.Filed Friday in Superior Court in New Britain, the appeal says the state’s “requirements regarding the use of face coverings, masks, and face shields in schools ... place an unconstitutional burden and restriction on the Plaintiffs’ fundamental right to an education, and is a denial of their right to equal protection of the law.”AdvertisementThe parents named in the court filing are Jenna Matos of Manchester, the mother of two children, ages 5 and 7, who attend a parochial school in the town; and Raena Ferguson, who lives in East Lyme and whose 14-year-old child attends the local high school.The appeal asks the state Department of Education to rescind the requirement to wear face coverings and to issue an order stating that neither the department nor a local school district can make such a requirement.Advertisement“We are reviewing the complaint and will respond in court,” the state Department of Education and the state attorney general’s office said in a written statement. “Masks keep people safe. Please wear your mask.”Broad scientific evidence shows that mask-wearing slows the spread of COVID-19. For instance, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that a recent study had shown two COVID-19-positive hair stylists did not pass on the virus to any of their clients, despite interacting at close-range. The stylists both wore masks while interacting with clients.As it happensGet the latest updates on Coronavirus and other breaking news events happening across Connecticut &gt; “The finding adds to a growing body of evidence that cloth face coverings provide source control — that is, they help prevent the person wearing the mask from spreading COVID-19 to others,” the CDC wrote.Other studies have shown that states saw after enacting mask mandates, and that countries with widespread mask usage .The mask requirement is part of a the state education department released stipulating certain rules schools must follow if they open for in-person learning this fall. Gov. Ned Lamont and education Commissioner Miguel Cardona have left other details of school reopenings up to districts, and many are choosing to pursue a hybrid model that includes some online learning so fewer children are sent to the school building each day, making it easier to practice social distancing.Lamont and Cardona have said any parent who wants their child to take classes entirely online this year will have that option.Joining Matos and Ferguson in the lawsuit is the Connecticut Freedom Alliance, a group that mobilized hundreds of parents to come to the state Capitol earlier this year to protest against legislation that would have eliminated the state’s religious exemption to vaccines for school-age children. They are being represented by attorneys Doug Dubitsky of Chaplin and Craig Fishbein of Wallingford, who are also Republicans elected to the state House of Representatives.The executive actions Lamont and his administration have taken to curb the spread of coronavirus — including limits on the size of gatherings — have faced a variety of legal challenges but for the most part have been upheld.AdvertisementRussell Blair can be reached at rblair@courant.com. Advertisement

AdvertisementBy Hartford CourantAug 15, 2020 at 8:59 amTwo Connecticut parents have filed an appeal in state court arguing a Department of Education mandate that students returning to classrooms this fall wear face masks is unconstitutional.Filed Friday in Superior Court in New Britain, the appeal says the state’s “requirements regarding the use of face coverings, masks, and face shields in schools ... place an unconstitutional burden and restriction on the Plaintiffs’ fundamental right to an education, and is a denial of their right to equal protection of the law.”AdvertisementThe parents...

Connecticut parents file appeal in court seeking to overturn school mask requirement

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