Virginia Supreme Court dismisses mask mandate petition
ABC News
The Supreme Court of Virginia has rejected a petition from parents that sought to invalidate Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order prohibiting school systems from enforcing mask mandates in the classroom
LEESBURG, Va. -- The Supreme Court of Virginia on Monday rejected on procedural grounds a petition from parents seeking to invalidate Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's executive order prohibiting school systems from enforcing mask mandates in the classroom.
Youngkin and Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares are battling in court on multiple fronts to defend the executive order. But the ruling is far from definitive. In a footnote, the justices say they offer “no opinion on the legality of EO 2,” the executive order that seeks to undo mask mandates, which are aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
The Supreme Court ruling only dismisses the petition — submitted by a group of parents in Chesapeake — that sought an unconventional form of relief called a writ of mandamus. The court ruled that writs of mandamus are reserved for extraordinary circumstances, which it said don't exist in this case.
Still, Youngkin and Miyares each issued statements calling the ruling a victory for parents in Virginia.