Florida FINES 8 schools enforcing mask mandates on children

by Libby Krieger

The Florida State Board of Education said this week that schools imposing mask mandates in violation of state law will face funding cutbacks equal to their school board’s salaries.

Eight Florida schools have defied the state’s order giving parents the right to decide whether their children should be masked and therefore will face monetary consequences.

The board unanimously confirmed the sanctions in a Thursday meeting by the recommendation of education commissioner Richard Cocoran as a way to enforce state law.

The eight counties currently in defiance will have 48 hours to comply with the law before the financial penalties are imposed, according to The Tampa Bay Times.

While Florida is aiming to enforce their laws, the Biden administration is seeking to undermine the state by providing relief to the counties that would lose funding in the form of grants.

The grants provide a form of incentive for schools to disobey Florida law, which Cocoran noted was an “egregious” federal overreach.

“Floridians should be offended by the Biden administration’s use of federal taxes in an attempt to make the enforcement of Florida’s laws so ineffective,” Cocoran said.

While superintendents of the defying school districts have argued they need mask mandates in order to keep their students and staff safe from the spread of COVID-19, Cocoran noted that masks have not been found to be especially useful in mitigating coronavirus spread.

The discrepancy, he said, was only two points between schools that did and did not require masking.

“And so, unsurprisingly, as we have said all along, we are seeing no impact of forced masks in the schools,” he said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., has repeatedly vowed to protect freedom for Floridians, especially children, and fight coronavirus mandates.

“My philosophy is, as a Governor, my job is to protect your individual freedom. My job is not to protect corporate freedom,” said DeSantis last month.

He has proven he is dedicated to abiding by that philosophy by taking action against schools and employers who enforce tyrannical restrictions upon students and workers.

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