Oklahoma Attorney General Suing School Districts Over Mask Mandates
Oklahoma Attorney General John O'Connor will be bringing a lawsuit against school districts who are currently requiring or mandating masks at their schools. By doing so these school districts are in violation of state law, specifically Senate Bill (SB 658) known as the "Safe at School" act.
Awhile back Governor Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill (SB 658) which prohibits schools from requiring face masks and COVID-19 vaccinations, as well as vaccination passports. The only time schools can require masks is if the Governor declares a state of emergency. Despite the new law several school districts in Oklahoma have made masks mandatory for all staff and students.
The only time a school district is able to require persons to wear a face mask or covering is during an official state of emergency that has been declared by the Governor. See below:
"A board of education of a public school district or a technology center school district may only implement a mandate to wear a mask or any other medical device after consultation with the local county health department or city-county health department within the jurisdiction of where the board is located and when the jurisdiction of where the board is located is under a current state of emergency declared by the Governor."
This hasn't stopped some districts and individual schools to mandate masks, which is why the Attorney General is filling the suit. There's been a lot of concern and confusion about the new law and it's the hope of all involved that the issue will be resolved by the courts. The A.G. is just enforcing current law and following what must be done. A lot of people want the ability to require masks and other COVID-19 related protocols and policies in their individual school districts as needed.
So what are your thoughts about all this? Do you think individual school districts should be able to implement mask mandates? Or do you agree with the current ban on schools being able to make masks mandatory? Take the quick poll below and let us know your opinion: