DeSantis Signs Executive Order Prohibiting FL Schools From Enforcing Mask Mandate

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order Friday that prohibits schools in the state from requiring students to wear face masks when they return to classrooms in the fall. The order states that school districts should not "violate Floridians' constitutional freedoms" and should "protect children with disabilities or health conditions who would be harmed by certain protocols such as face masking requirements." DeSantis' ruling comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Tuesday that all K-12 students should wear masks when they return to school. While the Florida governor called the CDC's new guidelines "a huge mistake," he also noted that students whose parents want them to wear masks should be able to do so.  

Left-rated outlets were more likely to list statistics related to the rise of COVID-19 cases with the new Delta variant spreading across the country and how Florida's vaccination rate has fallen behind other states. Right-rated outlets used terminology such as "forcing" students to wear masks and were more likely to mention the Brown University study that showed no correlation between school mask mandates and surges in COVID-19 cases. Center-rated outlets were more likely to feature a balanced mix of perspectives, pulling quotes from both DeSantis and the CDC.