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- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is threatening to withhold salaries from school board members who impose mask warrants.
- On July 31, the governor signed an executive order to withdraw funding from schools that require masks.
- Florida school districts have recommended that students wear masks, however, directly challenging DeSantis.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is threatening to withhold salaries from school board members who dare to challenge his mask ban.
The governor’s threat follows an executive order he signed on July 31, saying mask warrants are banned in Florida schools. The decree went into effect immediately and noted that schools run the risk of losing funding if they choose to impose face coverage requirements.
Today, DeSantis goes even further.
On August 9, he released a statement to local CBS affiliate CBS Miami, saying school board members and superintendents who defy his executive order will face “financial consequences.”
“The National Board of Education may decide to withhold the salary of the district superintendent or members of the school board, as a narrowly suited means of addressing the decision-makers who led to the violation of the law,” said the Minister. communicated.
The statement added that the governor’s priorities are “to protect the rights of parents and to ensure that every student has access to a high quality education that meets their unique needs.”
Miami-Dade Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho responded to DeSantis in a separate statement to CBS Miami that schools in his district – the fourth in the United States – will follow a “process” in consultation with health experts. public to decide whether or not students should wear masks.
“At no time will I allow my decision to be influenced by a threat to my salary, a small price to pay given the seriousness of this problem and the potential impact on the health and well-being of our students and dedicated employees, ”Carvalho said. told CBS Miami.
Carvalho too tweeted Monday night, declaring: “Humiliation by threat has not served and will not serve humanity well.”
This is the latest salute in DeSantis’ attack on demands that children wear masks in schools. In a tweet on July 29, the governor called “forcing children to wear masks” a “bad policy” and said the decision whether or not to wear masks for children should be left to parents.
However, DeSantis is in direct opposition to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommends that students and staff in K-12 schools wear masks in class, regardless of their immunization status.
Some school districts – like the one in Orange County, Florida – have chosen to challenge DeSantis’ ban on mask warrants, requiring students to wear face covers for 30 days starting August 10. According to The Hill, two legal challenges have also been filed against DeSantis calling into question the constitutionality of its executive order banning actual mask warrants in educational institutions.
This ongoing battle between DeSantis and mask warrants coincides with a disturbing increase in COVID cases in Florida.
Florida has seen an increase in infection rates, with a daily average of 19,250 cases as of August 8 and an 84% increase in COVID-19 infections over the past 14 days, according to the New COVID case tracker. York Times. Florida hospitals are also seeing an increase in the number of children infected with the virus, per NPR.
In the United States, young children under the age of 12 still cannot get the vaccine, but the FDA expects approval for a vaccine for this age group to come later this year, according to NBC.
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