Parents from other districts hope to join Columbia Public Schools in mask mandate defense

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Three parents of children in other school districts with mask mandates have asked to join Columbia Public Schools in defending its coronavirus rules in a lawsuit filed by the state.

The parents filed the motion Wednesday. One is from the Blue Springs district and has a kindergartener with cystic fibrosis. Another is from the Park Hill district and has a child with a rare disorder that damages tissue and causes legions. The third parent is from St. Louis and has a child with microcephaly.

In the motion, filed by lawyers with the ACLU of Missouri Foundation, the parents assert that the removal of mask mandates will exclude their children from public education because of the risk to their health.

CPS filed a motion asking the judge to dismiss the case this week, as well. The motion says the law gives schools the right to implement such regulations and that the attorney general lacks a solid claim or standing in the case.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed his lawsuit challenging the CPS mask mandate last month. Schmitt last week filed a motion to expand the lawsuit to other districts with mask mandates. The state's lawsuit says masks are not effective and can harm some children.

Schmitt also filed a motion last week asking a judge to suspend the mask mandate while the case goes through court.

The first hearing in the case is set for Tuesday.

CPS has promised to aggressively defend its mask mandate, which it says is in place to protect students and staff. CPS students learned virtually for large chunks of last school year because of the wide spread of the coronavirus in Boone County. The district put the mandate in place in summer school and then for the beginning of fall classes as the delta variant led to another surge in cases.

The school board recently voted to extend the mandate.