Judge strikes down Florida's school reopening order as unconstitutional
ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida’s school reopening order is unconstitutional, a judge ruled Monday, striking down the controversial provision requiring “brick and mortar” campuses to open this month for five-day-a-week lessons.
The ruling comes from two lawsuits, one from Orange County and another from the statewide teachers union, both challenging Florida’s school reopening order issued by Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran.
“The order is unconstitutional to the extent it arbitrarily disregards safety, denies local school boards decision making with respect to opening brick and mortar schools, and conditions funding on an approved reopening plan with a start date in August,” wrote Judge Charles Dodson of Leon County Circuit Court in the order.
The state’s order also harms teachers who are “being told they must go back into classrooms under extremely unsafe conditions,” Dodson wrote.
