THINGS GOTTA BREATHE

‘Harmful Medical Devices’: Residents Sue Palm Beach County Over Mask Mandate

The lawsuit claims that masks are “harmful medical devices” and that the mandate violates constitutional rights.

Residents of Palm Beach County, Florida, made international headlines last week with their impassioned—and bonkers—arguments against a local mandate for face masks. One said devil love was propelling the “deep state” to stomp on the U.S. Constitution. Another accused the Palm Beach County commissioners of destroying God’s wonderful breathing system. One woman said she didn’t wear a face mask for the same reason she didn’t wear underwear: “Things gotta breathe.”

Now, four residents are suing the county after the commissioners unanimously voted to enact the mandate, which applies to all public indoor locations such as grocery stores and restaurants. The residents—Rachel Eade, Carl Holme, Josie Machovec, and Robert Spreitzer—claim that the mandate “interferes with [their] personal liberty and constitutional rights” and their “constitutionally protected right to enjoy and defend life and liberty.” The suit also calls face masks “harmful medical devices,” despite evidence to the contrary. Studies have shown that wearing masks is vital to controlling the spread of the coronavirus.