93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
Missouri’s attorney general will ask a Boone County judge next week to issue a preliminary injunction against Columbia Public Schools (CPS) regarding the district’s mask mandate.
Attorney General Eric Schmitt says he opposes the forced masking of schoolchildren. He tells 939 the Eagle’s “Mike Ferguson show” that Missouri is the only state pursuing class certification against school districts with mask mandates.
Schmitt says CPS and about 50 other districts require masks. Schmitt also criticizes education groups for their stance on this issue, noting there are more than 500 school districts.
“It’s also important to note, because a lot of the education establishment now will come out against this, about 90 percent of school districts don’t do this (a mask mandate). So it puts them (Missouri education groups) in a weird position to try to defend this nonsense,” Schmitt tells Ferguson.
Schmitt has also filed a motion for class certification in his lawsuit against CPS and about 50 other districts.
CPS defends its mask mandate, saying it’s needed to keep students safe. They also say that wearing a mask indoors is one mitigation strategy that provides an additional level of protection to keep all students and staff safe and in school.
Judge Brouck Jacobs has scheduled a hearing for Tuesday morning at 9. The hearing will take place at the Boone County Courthouse in Columbia.
