Feds Threaten Tennessee With Civil Rights Probes Over Prime-Down Resistance To Masking In Faculties | WPLN Information

Students at Sumner County Schools are not required to wear masks, though some parents and medical professionals have pushed for a mandate.Courtesy Sumner County Schoolson Facebook

Tennessee can risk state civil rights investigations if the state continues on its current path allowing parents to unsubscribe from school mask requirements for no reason. The US Department of Education has warned eight states that their current policies conflict with federal policies aimed at providing a safe, personal learning environment.

In a memo, Minister Miguel Cardona said his department could “initiate a targeted investigation if facts point to a possible violation of student rights by government policies and measures.” He says the department will also respond to complaints from parents of students “who may face discrimination because states don’t allow local school districts to reduce the risk of virus transmission through masking requirements and other risk mitigation measures”.

“We will take all necessary steps to ensure that a school district’s freedom of choice to make these critical investments is not compromised, including state guidelines from a governor, state legislature, state education agency, or other official,” Cardona writes on the blog Ministry of Education.

Letters went first to Florida and Texas, then Arizona, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah. They point out that following instructions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is essentially part of the deal in accepting federal COVID aid grants to schools.

Tennessee’s universal opt-out

The Tennessee House of Representatives chairman called for a special session to curb COVID requirements in schools. As a compromise, Governor Bill Lee signed an executive order on Monday allowing parents to ignore school mask requirements.

Masks were already optional in most Tennessee school districts. After an unruly debate, Williamson County requested masks for elementary school classes. Rural counties of Henry and Hancock began calling for masks after local outbreaks just days after the start of the school year. Parents can now unsubscribe with a written request.

But the state’s two largest counties – Shelby County in Memphis and Metro Schools in Nashville – effectively ignored the executive order, and even drew the wrath of the Republican leader who supported masking in schools.

As COVID cases in school-age children increase – by nearly 14,200 cases nationwide in the last 14 days – more and more school districts are feeling pressured to require masks. Now, with the support of federal agencies, the Franklin Special School District has called a special session on Friday afternoon.

Governor Lee responded with a statement on Twitter: “Parents know better than the government what is best for their children.”

Regarding the letter from the Biden administration: Parents know better than the government what is best for their children. pic.twitter.com/II850ENYJv

– Governor Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) August 19, 2021