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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From the Left
State mask bans face federal civil rights inquiriesThe Education Department on Monday opened civil rights investigations into five Republican-led states that have banned or limited mask requirements in schools, saying the policies could amount to discrimination against students with disabilities or health conditions.
The department’s Office for Civil Rights announced the investigations in letters to education chiefs in Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah. Those states have issued varying prohibitions on universal mask requirements, which the office says could prevent some students from safely attending school.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona accused the states of “putting politics...
From the Right
Five GOP governors face civil rights inquiries over bans on mask mandatesThe Education Department announced Monday that it is investigating five Republican-led states blocking local school districts from requiring masks to protect against the coronavirus , claiming the policies discriminate against students with health conditions and disabilities.
The DOE's Office for Civil Rights sent letters to education chiefs in Iowa , Oklahoma , South Carolina , Tennessee , and Utah.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said the department has heard from parents across the country about how state bans on universal indoor masking are "putting their children at risk and preventing them from accessing in-person learning equally."
“It’s simply unacceptable that state leaders are putting politics over...
From the Left
Education Department to probe 5 states with ‘unacceptable’ school mask bansFederal education authorities launched five investigations into statewide school mask bans on Monday, ratcheting up the Biden administration's feud with Republican governors as Covid-19 infections disrupt the fall back-to-school season in some communities.
The Department of Education’s civil rights office will review indoor masking prohibitions in Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah, and examine whether bans in those states violate the rights of students with disabilities.
“It’s simply unacceptable that state leaders are putting politics over the health and education of the students they took an oath to serve,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement....
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