Education Secretary Miguel CardonaMiguel CardonaSunday Previews: Chaos in Kabul Affects US Evacuation Efforts Overnight Health Care: Fight Over Masks In Florida Escalates As Two School Districts Are Given 48 Hour Time To Respect The Mask Requirement Florida gives two school districts 48 hours to comply with the mask rule or the Lose funding MORE On Sunday, he said he was “ready to investigate with the division’s civil rights bureau” in response to states that have introduced mask bans on students.
“We are ready to investigate with our civil rights bureau to ensure that all students have access to this fundamental right to education and it is sad that we are talking about it now,” Cardona told host Chuck Todd
Charles (Chuck) David ToddNo liberal bias in the media? Who is Chuck Todd kidding besides himself? Fauci “very concerned” about COVID-19 surge after Sturgis rally Fauci says some are likely to need Covid-19 booster syringes MORE on NBC’s “Meet the Press”.
“We will use our civil rights office to investigate any claims made to ensure that students’ rights are upheld,” he added.
The vow to investigate comes after Cardona told the New York Times last week that the Department of Education would hire its civil rights enforcement department to investigate states that have introduced policies blocking universal mask mandates.
A number of GOP-led states have signed executive orders preventing masking requirements from being enforced in schools, including Florida, Texas, and Tennessee.
Cardona also doubled the government’s promise during Sunday’s NBC interview to give federal funds to school districts that defy governor’s orders and implement masked mandates, putting them at risk of losing government funds.
He announced the initiative last week and wrote in a statement that “we have also made it clear to district leaders that any financial sanctions imposed by the state can be resolved immediately with CARES, CRRSA or American Rescue Plan funds.”
In response to pressure from Todd about how the districts can access the funds, Cardona said they had “access to federal funds that they can access anytime” and did not need governor approval as the funding was approved by Congress.
Cardona’s comments come as health professionals, school administrators and parents vigorously prepare for a return to the classroom this fall, at a time when COVID-19 cases are increasing across the country due to the highly contagious Delta variant.
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