Florida’s Ban on School Mask Mandates Is Back in Place

(Bloomberg) -- A Florida appeals court said Friday that Governor Ron DeSantis’s ban on school mask mandates can be enforced for now, even after a lower court judge ruled in favor of parents who had challenged the governor.

It’s the latest twist in an on-again, off-again saga with the ban. Leon County Circuit Court Judge John C. Cooper ruled in favor of parents who challenged the ban; the state appealed, triggering an automatic stay; and on Wednesday, the circuit court judge vacated the automatic stay. Now, the pendulum has swung once again.

In an order Friday, the First District Court of Appeal said the stay “should have been left in place pending appellate review.”

“With a stay in place, students, parents and teachers are back in harm’s way,” said Charles Gallagher, a lawyer for the parents.

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