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Florida Is Now Refusing to Pay School Board Members Who Order Mask Mandates

The state is holding school board members’ salaries as ransom until they abandon their safety measures for students as COVID cases surge.

Florida is refusing to pay monthly salaries to school board members in counties that defied Gov. Ron DeSantis to introduce mask mandates on their campuses. The state’s Department of Education confirmed the move Monday, saying it had “withheld the monthly school board member salaries in Alachua and Broward County” because of the mask mandates, which it said “violate parental rights by not allowing a parent or legal guardian to opt-out their child.” The statement added that the salaries will not be paid until the districts abandon their mandates. The move came despite a court ruling last week that school districts can enforce temporary mask mandates to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Broward County Public Schools Interim Superintendent Vickie Cartwright said late Monday that the county will continue its mask requirements, saying: “The health and safety of our students, teachers, and staff continue to be our main priorities.”