BREAKING UPDATE: A 2 p.m. appeals court hearing
is scheduled after yesterday's decision by a state Supreme Court judge to
strike down NY's mask mandate.
Original story below.
However,
since the ruling, about two dozen Long Island districts have scrapped their
masks rules effective today.
Some school districts, like in Massapequa, told families that mask
wearing would be optional today and students were already in
the classroom without them.
Other districts on Long Island, including East Islip and Bay
Shore, also made mask wearing optional. Many cited confused
guidance as their reason to give the choice.
State Supreme Court Judge Thomas Rademaker ruled Gov.
Hochul could not mandate mask wearing without a vote form the state Legislature.
Meanwhile,
the state Education
Department
told schools to keep mask requirements in effect
today because when an appeal is filed, the mask order will stay in place. Many
districts did do that, including Jericho and Mineola.
So
far, there has been no further guidance from the state, nor has a date been set on
when the court could hear the appeal.