mask mandates
Feds launch civil rights investigations of 5 GOP-led states banning school mask requirements
WASHINGTON — Federal education officials have launched civil rights investigations in five Republican-led states that have prohibited school districts from mandating mask-wearing, saying those policies could amount to illegal discrimination against students with disabilities. The Biden administration notified the education chiefs in Iowa, Tennessee, South Carolina, Utah and Oklahoma of the investigations through formal letters Monday. The new investigations will examine whether “students […]
A boy with an autoimmune disease was ready to learn in person. Then his state banned mask mandates
By Annie Waldman and Bianca Fortis, ProPublica This story was originally published by ProPublica. When the coronavirus first swept across Florida last year, Angela Gambrel did everything she could to lock down her home in Sumter County, northeast of Tampa. Her 10-year-old grandson Jayden has a rare brain disease that disrupts his immune system and […]
Children are dying for Republican ‘freedom’
Apparently, the bodies of sick or dead children are not a motivator for today’s Republicans. Then again, when were they? When 20 children were gunned down at Sandy Hook elementary school in 2012, Republicans didn’t fight to end gun violence — they doubled down on unfettered gun access. When scientists warned decades ago that generations […]
Second bill seeking to ban student mask requirements to enter Ohio House
An Ohio GOP state rep is making another push to ban mask mandates for students in schools, as child COVID-19 cases rise. State Rep. Mike Loychik, R-Bazetta, is seeking cosponsors on a bill “prohibiting schools in Ohio from mandating that students wear masks.” “With our children return to the classroom shortly, based off of the […]
Ohio leaders must be vigilant against virus and help prevent more unnecessary deaths
It was springtime, 2020. Andy, as usual, was puttering around his yard on some new project. I couldn’t resist teasing him about spring cleaning and inquired if he did windows. My affable neighbor, a retire middle-school teacher, made a crack about only doing selective window-washing and we laughed. He had a dry sense of humor. […]
A year into pandemic, DeWine says Ohio on the right path to lift restrictions but can’t ease up yet
A year into pandemic, DeWine urges Ohioans not to ease up
How individual rights and government regulation are both necessary for a free society
I’ve been thinking a lot, recently, about the tension between demanding “individual rights” – in the sense of deciding whether or not to wear a mask – and calling for more action on the part of our government to protect us from the coronavirus pandemic. I’m a political theorist, which means I study how communities […]