Ossining Responds To Judge Rejection Of NY School Mask Mandate
OSSINING, NY — After a Nassau County Supreme Court judge ruled Gov. Kathy Hochul's student mask mandate unconstitutional — though Hochul said she plans to fight the decision — Ossining district officials announced that masks are not required in school.
However, Superintendent Ray Sanchez continued in a letter to parents, "The New York State Education Department has issued a statement advising all school districts to continue following the mask mandate in school settings. In addition, the CDC and New York Department of Health continue to recommend and encourage staff and students to wear masks. I strongly encourage all families and staff to consider this guidance and these recommendations as they attend our schools, especially until we have more clarity."
While there was no word as of 7 a.m. that a stay of the judge's decision has been granted, he said, "This situation will continue to evolve and could change as early as this morning. As additional updates are provided we will share with our staff and families."
According to the Jan. 24 decision by Judge Thomas Rademaker, the law was "promulgated and enacted unlawfully by an executive branch state agency and therefore void and unenforceable as a matter of law."
The decision also said that it does not "opine on the efficacy, need or requirement of masks as a means or tool in dealing with the COVID-19 virus." The issue is only whether or not the rule was properly enacted, the decision said.
Also, the issue at hand is not a challenge to any executive order issued by Hochul, the decision said, but is a challenge to a "rule" enacted by New York State Commissioner of Health Dr. Mary Bassett and enforced by Hochul.
Nassau is a hotbed of resistance to the mask mandate. Right after he was sworn into office, new Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed a trio of executive orders allowing school districts to end the mask mandates if they chose to do so.
The Massapequa Board of Education followed with a vote to end the mask mandate in all schools effective Feb. 21.
When asked about the "challenge" to her authority after, Hochul spoke out.
"I'm not a pushover," she said, adding, "Personally, as a parent, I find it phenomenal that apparently, people are willing to play politics with children's lives."
She added that once the state mask mandate lapses, no school district will be expect to follow those protocols. The measure could be lifted before Feb. 21, she said, adding that she is using the element of time to assess the situation.
"One of the best things I look forward to is the day I can say the requirements are suspended and that they did the job they were meant to do and kept New Yorkers safe," Hochul said.
By Patch Editor Lisa Finn. Editor Lanning Taliaferro contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on the Ossining-Croton-On-Hudson Patch
