Judge Rules ISBE Can't Penalize Schools over Mask Order For Now
Parkview Christian Academy in Yorkville was awarded a temporary restraining order (TRO) preventing the Illinois State Board of Education from imposing penalties for the school’s refusal to implement the Governor’s mask mandate for schools.
A Kendall County judge has granted temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Illinois State Board of Education for revoking state recognition of a Christian school in Yorkville. Parkview Christian Academy is defying Governor JB Pritzker’s mask mandate in schools.
In his ruling granting the TRO Thursday, Kendall County Judge Stephen Krentz said the state board had not shown enough evidence that it has the right to impose penalties on schools defying the mask order.
More from the Chicago Tribune:
ISBE Superintendent Carmen Ayala has warned that failing to comply with the state’s mask mandate will result in the removal of a private school’s “status as a recognized nonpublic school, effective immediately.”
The court ruling, which granted Parkview a temporary restraining order while the lawsuit continues, was immediately applauded by Republican members of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, which has described the revocations without a hearing or probationary period as “overreach.”
“Public schools are placed on probation and are given a defined timeline to respond, yet nonpublic schools are not given that same consideration,” Republican Sen. John Curran of Downers Grove said in a Friday statement.
“This is not about masks; it is about process. We need to ensure that all schools and school children are treated equally and fairly, and that school recognition outcomes are not dependent upon what school a child attends,” Curran said.
Pritzker spokesperson Jordan Abudayyeh said the Kendall County ruling will not affect the way ISBE approaches enforcement of the mandate, saying “there is no reason for nonpublic or public schools to ignore the commonsense public health guidelines recommended by the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and medical professionals.”
A spokesperson for the Illinois State Board of Education did not return a message from The Illinoize Friday. A spokesperson for the Illinois Attorney General, who is defending the state in the case, says the decision is being reviewed and the office is “evaluating our options.”