Biden Administration to Use Federal Civil Rights Workplace to Deter States From Faculty Masks Bans

“The fact that they do not adapt to the disease and the outcry from medical experts is amazing,” said Dr. Cardona. “But we can’t sit around. We must do everything in our power, including civil rights investigations and even referring matters to the Department of Justice for enforcement if necessary. “

He said he had also telephoned education leaders in Texas and Florida. In the interviews, he said: “We agree on vaccinations, we disagree on the use of mitigation strategies to ensure the safety of students.”

So far, federal threats have fallen on deaf ears in states where the partisan war over masks is still raging. On Tuesday, the governor-appointed school board in Florida doubled. In a board meeting, the board voted to investigate fines against county officials in two counties – Broward County and Alachua Counties – who defied their orders.

The federal intervention comes as school districts face the monumental task of getting students back into personal learning and reversing the devastating setbacks for a number of students.

A report released this summer by the ministry’s civil rights bureau provided a snapshot of the suffering of the year since schools abruptly closed in March 2020.

The report found that pre-pandemic barriers faced by groups such as English learners, color students, and low-income students who have had difficulty accessing virtual learning have been tightened. especially among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students in elementary and secondary schools. In general, the students who had no grades had increased and engagement had decreased. The report found that the pandemic challenges are particularly acute for students with disabilities, whose educational success depends largely on class time and practical services.

Suzanne B. Goldberg, the assistant secretary of the Bureau of Civil Rights, warned in the June report that the challenges faced by students could conflict with civil rights laws

“While this report provides a data-driven presentation of the varying impacts of Covid-19 on students and not a legal analysis, it is important to acknowledge that inequalities can sometimes be evidence of violations of federal civil rights laws, even if policies and practices” Vote Do not direct a group of people out to cause harm, ”she wrote.