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The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Judge J. Ronnie Greer agreed to suspend his mask order for students in Knox County on Monday for up to 60 days while those involved in a lawsuit go through mediation.
Unmask Knox County Kids, a nonprofit representing Knox County students, parents, and teachers, filed suit against the Knox County Board of Education to stop a court ordered mask mandate on schoolchildren in the district.
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“For 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,” said Angie Goethert of Unmask Knox County Kids. “The 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.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now list Knox County in a “low risk” category for COVID-19 but if this changes, Greer said the mask rule could be reinstated.
Dorothy Oakley, a District 7 school board candidate, said, “I am all for lifting the mandate because both sides are in agreement, and we are currently under a green level from the CDC which means it’s safe for everybody to take a mask off for the most part unless you’re medically fragile.”
School board candidate for District 7, Sherri Garrett said in a statement, “We are happy that the judge has agreed to lift the mask requirement at this time. We hope the negotiations will go well and parents will continue to have a choice in their child’s health and education.”
Depending on how mediation goes, there is a possibility that students will be back in masks the last week of school before summer break.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
