{"id":1363172,"date":"2022-03-07T13:06:26","date_gmt":"2022-03-07T18:06:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1363172"},"modified":"2022-03-07T18:08:29","modified_gmt":"2022-03-07T23:08:29","slug":"tennessee-nonprofit-sues-board-of-education-to-end-mask-mandate-for-60000-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tennessee-nonprofit-sues-board-of-education-to-end-mask-mandate-for-60000-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Tennessee Nonprofit Sues Board Of Education To End Mask Mandate For 60,000+ Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftennessee-nonprofit-sues-board-of-education-to-end-mask-mandate-for-60000-kids%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1363172&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2022\/03\/GettyImages-1237930111.jpeg?w=1200&#038;h=800&#038;ixlib=react-9.3.0\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/div>\n<p>A nonprofit in Knox County, Tennessee, representing the interests of students, parents, and teachers is suing the county\u2019s board of education to fight a court-ordered mask mandate for more than 60,000 kids that a judge ruled Monday will remain in place for at least 60 days amid mediation in a separate case.<\/p>\n<p>The group, Unmask Knox County Kids, is suing the Knox County Board of Education after a federal judge ordered public schools can mandate face-coverings. The policy was implemented on the heels of parents of district students successfully <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wvlt.tv\/2021\/09\/03\/kcs-parents-sue-gov-lee-mayor-jacobs-over-mask-policy\/\">suing<\/a> Knox County Schools and Republican Gov. Bill Lee demanding a mask mandate for safety purposes. The governor signed an executive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/governor\/news\/2021\/8\/16\/gov--lee-signs-executive-order-giving-parents-ability-to-opt-out-of-school-mask-mandates.html\">order<\/a> last August allowing parents to opt their kids out of school mask mandates.<\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe school district has been ordered by a judge to enforce this mandate at the behest of four parents who feel justified in holding tens of thousands of students, teachers and administrators hostage,\u201d said Harmeet Dhillon, whose firm Dhillon Law Group is representing Unmask Knox County Kids and other concerned parents. \u201c<\/span><span>This is a blatant overreach of power and needs to be rectified.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>On Monday, the judge presiding over the case brought forth by Unmask Knox County Kids <a href=\"https:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/knox-county-schools-mask-rule-180618414.html\">ruled the families<\/a> behind the suit had not demonstrated \u201cirreparable injury, loss or damage\u201d to qualify for relief. The judge says the group did not file the right paperwork.<\/p>\n<p>But in an interview with The Daily Wire, lawyer Karin <span id=\"Karin_Sweigart_Counsel\">Sweigart for Dhillion Law Group said the judge made a mistake in assessing the case. She says Unmask Knox County Kids is not seeking relief, which would be in the case of a temporary restraining order (TRO) being filed. The group, rather, she says filed a motion seeking the court to reconsider its prior mask order.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe never filed a request for a temporary restraining order,\u201d said <span>Sweigart. \u201cAnd we did that on purpose. Our request is for the court to reconsider its order because it harms all Knox County kids. We\u2019re trying to figure out how to correct the record.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The mask mandate in Knox County Schools will remain until the outcome of 60-day <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/crime\/lawsuit-behind-knox-county-schools-mask-mandate-put-on-hold-by-federal-judge\/ar-AAUKbI9\">mediation<\/a> ordered by U.S. District Judge Ronnie Greer on Monday. Mediation will take place between the parents who sought mask mandates, in relation to the other lawsuit, and the school district. Greer issued a temporary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wate.com\/news\/judge-tells-knox-county-schools-to-enforce-mask-mandate-blocks-governors-opt-out\/\">injunction<\/a> in September ordering schools to enforce the mandate in place during the 2020-2021 school year and reject Gov. Lee\u2019s executive order.<\/p>\n<p>It is the contention of Unmask Knox County Kids that more than 60,000 students should not be forced to mask up due to parents of some students favoring mandates. The lawsuit argues that parents and students should be able to make personal decisions.<\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cFor the parents of four children to feel like they have the authority to force nearly 60,000 students in all K-12 schools across the greater Knoxville area to wear masks is an outrageous demand,\u201d Angie Goethert of Unmask Knox County Kids said in a statement obtained by The Daily Wire. <\/span><span>\u201cThe students, parents, teachers and educational professionals who we are representing feel that this mask mandate has had detrimental effects on learning outcomes, physical health, and mental health for students.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Knox County Schools did not respond to The Daily Wire\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit filed by Unmask Knox County Kids cites research on masks having detrimental impacts for children with disabilities and students learning English as a second language. It also cites mental health data and how parents have described kids forced to mask having \u201ccomplete meltdowns\u201d like \u201ccrying, throwing fits, being visibly shaken and inconsolable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One parent, referenced as \u201cMember 3,\u201d in the suit, said her daughter developed trichotillomania from forced masking \u2014 a compulsive hair-pulling disorder. \u201cIn 6 months, Member 3\u2019s daughter went from having a full head of hair to nearly completely bald, her head covered in sores from self-harm, and her spirit crushed by this horrific condition,\u201d the lawsuit states.<\/p>\n<p>Mask exemptions in the school district have not been permitted aside from students with autism, tracheostomies, or some who had an Individualized Education Program (IEP) exemption from the prior year, a parent familiar with the situation told The Daily Wire. The parent has a daughter with a developmental speech delay and has failed to acquire a district mask exemption after doctors signed them.<\/p>\n<p>Gary Humble, executive director of the group Tennessee Stands that has also fought mask mandates in court, told The Daily Wire the judge in this case \u201cshould never have\u201d forced all kids to wear masks because of the concerns of a few mandate-supporting parents.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoth parents and the school board should have never complied with this order,\u201d said Humble. \u201cThere are times when you look an activist judge in the face, and say, \u2018no.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<p><i>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a<\/i>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><span class=\"s1\"><i>member<\/i><\/span><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A nonprofit in Knox County, Tennessee, representing the interests of students, parents, and teachers is suing the county\u2019s board of education to fight a court-ordered mask mandate for more than<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1363172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1363172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1363172"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1363172\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1363172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1363172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1363172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}