A Virginia judge has blocked Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin’s executive order allowing parents to opt-out of school district mask mandates from going into effect, the Associated Press reports.
Youngkin signed the executive order within days of taking office January 15th, and seven Virginia school districts immediately filed suit to overturn the order, saying it was a serious overreach of the Governor’s authority.
“Keeping rules in place that have been established over the school year helps children, families and staff understand how they may be impacted during the pandemic. Without a restraining order, children and staff would have to reassess certain health conditions they believe are impacted by a mask policy (any mask policy), having relied upon a universal mask mandate implemented by the School Boards,” Arlington Circuit Court Judge Louise DiMatteo wrote in her ruling.