Federal government investigating Florida on school mask policy

Writer: Derrick Shaw
Published: Updated:
Screenshot of the first page of U.S. Department of Education letter to Florida Department of Education. Credit: WINK News.

U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) plans to investigate the Florida Department of Education over its current stance on mask mandates in Florida schools.

According to the letter sent to the state education department, the investigation is on the basis FDOE, “might be preventing school districts in the state from considering or meeting the needs of students with disabilities as a result of Florida’s policy that requires public schools and school districts to allow parents or legal guardians to opt their child out of mask mandates designed to reduce the risk to students and others of contracting COVID-19 in school.”

MORE: U.S. Department of Education letter to Florida Department of Education

According to the OCR letter, “This directed investigation in no way implies that OCR has decided whether there has been a violation of a law OCR enforces. During the investigation, OCR is a
neutral factfinder, collecting and analyzing relevant evidence from the Florida Department of Education and other sources as appropriate prior to reaching a determination in this matter.”

There is no further information at this time.

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