The First District Court of Appeal agreed to hear a case brought by parents against the state\u2019s school mask mandate ban on an expedited basis Thursday.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

The court has also given more insight into its decision to block an initial ruling that went in parents\u2019 favor.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><span class=\"\">Judge John Cooper ruled back in August that state\u2019s school mask mandate ban violated the Parents Bill of Rights because it didn\u2019t allow school districts the ability to justify their policies.<\/span><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><span class=\"\">\u201cTo show that their policy is reasonable and meets the requirements of the law,\u201d said Cooper in the August hearing.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><span class=\"\">The First DCA quickly blocked Cooper\u2019s ruling.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"\">\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-71772 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2021\/10\/28\/case-against-mask-mandate-ban-will-be-expedited\/mask-appeal\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2021\/10\/28\/case-against-mask-mandate-ban-will-be-expedited\/mask-appeal00000005\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000005-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000005-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000005-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000005.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2021\/10\/28\/case-against-mask-mandate-ban-will-be-expedited\/mask-appeal00000003\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000003-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000003-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000003-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000003.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><span class=\"\">In a new order it has explained why.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><span class=\"\">The court said Cooper was wrong because parents never alleged the mandate ban violated the Parents Bill of Rights, b<\/span>ut more importantly the court suggested parents likely never had standing to sue in the first place.<\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><span class=\"\">\u201cA school is not just a school board. A school is the sum of its parts and that sum of its parts have those rights to safe schools,\u201d said Charles Gallagher, an attorney representing the parents suing the state.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"\">\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-71772 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2021\/10\/28\/case-against-mask-mandate-ban-will-be-expedited\/mask-appeal00000007\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000007-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000007-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000007-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000007.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2021\/10\/28\/case-against-mask-mandate-ban-will-be-expedited\/mask-appeal00000006\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000006-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000006-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000006-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000006.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2021\/10\/28\/case-against-mask-mandate-ban-will-be-expedited\/mask-appeal00000008\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000008-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000008-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000008-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000008.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><span class=\"\">Gallagher argued parents do having standing to sue because they are directly impacted by the mask mandate ban.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><span class=\"\">\u201cFlorida law does not require that a child die from COVID to be a party plaintiff,\u201d said Gallagher.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"\">The issue of standing was also at the heart of the First DCA\u2019s ruling against the teachers union in the school reopening case last year.<\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><span class=\"\">In a statement the Governor\u2019s Office called the court\u2019s order a win for the Governor and parents.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><span class=\"\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><span class=\"\" style=\"font-family: Helvetica Neue;\">\u201cToday\u2019s preliminary ruling shows that the Plaintiffs have little chance of saving the trial court\u2019s ruling, so this is a win for Governor DeSantis and\u00a0parents\u2019 rights in Florida!\u201d said the Governor\u2019s\u00a0Press Secretary, Christina Pushaw.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"\">\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-3' class='gallery galleryid-71772 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2021\/10\/28\/case-against-mask-mandate-ban-will-be-expedited\/mask-appeal00000014\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000014-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000014-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000014-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000014.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2021\/10\/28\/case-against-mask-mandate-ban-will-be-expedited\/mask-appeal00000012\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000012-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000012-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000012-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000012.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2021\/10\/28\/case-against-mask-mandate-ban-will-be-expedited\/mask-appeal00000011\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000011-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000011-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000011-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Mask-Appeal00000011.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><span class=\"\">But the parents\u2019 attorney said the case is far from over and the ultimate outcome will have lasting impacts.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><span class=\"\">\u201cThis is a matter that will allow schools and the government to have some finality relative to how they will go forward the next time this happens and sadly everyone in the know thinks there will be a next time,\u201d said Gallagher.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><span class=\"\">Even though the case has been expedited, the parents\u2019 attorney said a final ruling likely won\u2019t come until late December at the earliest.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><span class=\"\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"\"><span class=\"\">Also ongoing is an administrative challenge to the state\u2019s mask mandate ban brought by six school districts. A ruling in that case is expected by November 5th.<\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The First District Court of Appeal agreed to hear a case brought by parents against the state\u2019s school mask mandate ban on an expedited basis Thursday.\u00a0 The court has also given more insight into its decision to block an initial ruling that went in parents\u2019 favor. Judge John Cooper ruled back in August that state\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71772"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/132"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71772"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71772\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71789,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71772\/revisions\/71789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71772"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}