WHIPLASH

DeSantis Can Continue to Punish Schools With Mask Mandates, Judge Rules

The ruling came just days after a judge cleared the way for schools to enact their bans.

Just two days after a Florida judge allowed school districts to impose mask mandates, an appeals court judge has walked it back. Florida’s First District Court of Appeal granted Gov. Ron DeSantis’ request to reinstate a stay as he fights a lawsuit from parents over masks, the Miami Herald reported Friday. “Upon our review of the trial’s court’s final judgment and the operative pleadings, we have serious doubts about standing, jurisdiction, and other threshold matters,” the court wrote. “These doubts significantly militate against vacating the automatic stay, the stay should have been left in place pending appellate review.”

The ruling allows DeSantis to take action against school districts that impose mask mandates, including withholding salaries from school board members, until a final decision is reached. Charles Gallagher, a lawyer for the parents, said they were disappointed by the action. “With a stay in place, students, parents, and teachers are back in harm’s way,” he said.