Parents of Duval, Alachua students file petition over school boards’ mask policies

3 years ago 239

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Parents of students who be schools successful Duval and Alachua counties person filled an exigency petition, asking for changes to beryllium made to their schoolhouse boards’ disguise policies and quarantine procedures.

According to the petition, the petitioners are requesting a tribunal bid “requiring Superintendent [Carlee] Simon and SBAC [School Board of Alachua County], and Superintendent [Diana] Greene and SBDC [School Board of Duval County], to comply with the Department’s [of Health] Emergency Rule, peculiarly to the grade of providing parents with an opt-out to the School Boards’ disguise policies astatine parents’ sole discretion, and allowing parents to nonstop their steadfast (non-symptomatic) children to schoolhouse astatine their ain discretion.”

The petition states the Florida Constitution guarantees parents the close to a high-quality acquisition that is being “burdened, if not outright frustrated, by the School Boards’ unlawful policies.” It further states that the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which was signed into instrumentality this year, “guarantees parents the cardinal close to marque the decisions astir their ain children’s’ wellness care.”

As of Oct. 1, the Duval County Public Schools person kept look coverings a requirement for students unless the student’s genitor oregon guardian has submitted a aesculapian opt-out form. That signifier indispensable beryllium signed by a physician, registered caregiver oregon licensed therapist/counselor. The same applies for opt-out forms for students attending Alachua County schools.

According to the instrumentality firm, the Health Department’s rules besides let parents of steadfast children who bash not person symptoms to person their children be schoolhouse contempt interaction tracing. It states that Alachua County’s policy, revised Oct. 1, makes non-symptomatic children enactment location for respective days until they supply a antagonistic trial result.

Alachua County Public Schools’ website notes stay-at location exceptions for adjacent contacts, specifically that a pupil who was wrong 3 to six feet of a pupil with COVID-19 successful a schoolroom mounting is not considered a adjacent interaction and volition not beryllium directed to enactment astatine location if some students were consistently and correctly wearing masks.

Duval County Public Schools’ protocols necessitate students to quarantine based connected whether they’re showing symptoms of COVID-19. Children who bash not amusement symptoms whitethorn be schoolhouse astatine the discretion of their parents.

Tracy Pierce, with Duval County Public Schools, said DCPS cannot remark connected pending litigation.

Attorney Jeff Childers, the pb lawyer connected the case, notes that the petition was filed connected an exigency ground and hopes the courts volition enactment promptly.

Here is simply a transcript of the document: