JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – On Friday, Sept. 18, 2021, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a motion for class certification and a motion for preliminary injunction in his lawsuit against the Columbia Public School district and other school districts that impose a mask mandate for school children.
The motion for class certification can be found here: https://ago.mo.gov/docs/default-source/press-releases/2021-09-17—missouri-v-columbia-public-schools—motion-for-class-certification.pdf?sfvrsn=a9c3438c_2
The motion for preliminary injunction can be found here: https://ago.mo.gov/docs/default-source/press-releases/2021-09-17—missouri-v-columbia-school-district—motion-for-classwide-preliminary-injunction.pdf?sfvrsn=17aabfb2_2
“Forcing children to wear masks in school all day long flies in the face of science and could hinder crucial development by eliminating facial cues and expressions,” said Attorney General Schmitt. “We filed this case because we fundamentally don’t believe in forced masking, rather that parents and families should have the power to make decisions on masks, based on science and facts. We plan to continue to aggressively litigate this case moving forward.”
The lawsuit, which is a reverse class action, was filed on August 24. If class certification is granted, it would apply to all public school districts in the state that have a mask policy.
