Headline RoundupAugust 30th, 2021

Education Department To Investigate Five States That Banned Mask Mandates In Schools

Summary from the AllSides News Team

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) announced an investigation Monday into whether prohibitions of indoor mask mandates constitute discrimination against students with health conditions and disabilities. The DOE's Office for Civil Rights addressed their concerns in letters sent to the education chiefs in Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah, where mask mandates in schools have been banned. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona accused the governors of these states of “putting politics over the health and education of the students they took an oath to serve.” The DOE will determine if each state in question has complied with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which protects qualified students from discrimination based on their disability. The department also disclosed that regional civil rights offices will be collecting data from the aforementioned states during the coming weeks.

Left-rated outlets were more likely to highlight how banning mask mandates could prevent millions of students with disabilities to attend in-person classes safely. Most outlets mentioned how the investigation will most likely receive backlash from conservatives who believe mask mandates have gone too far and could have negative psychological effects on children.

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