Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said Wednesday that he would be willing to pursue legal action against the Republican-led states that have blocked school districts from imposing mask requirements in schools.
In a interview with the New York Times, Cardona argued that federal civil rights law empowered him to take action against the Republican governors who have banned mask mandates in public schools through executive orders, saying he was “appalled that there are adults who are blind to their blindness, that there are people who are putting policies in place that are putting students and staff at risk.”
Addressing the nation Wednesday, President Biden said he would authorize the Department of Education to exercise full oversight authority and potentially take legal action against GOP governors who have argued that the decision to mask in schools should be left up to parents.
Biden indicated the administration would not tolerate “intimidation and threats” against school boards from Republican governors, asking education secretary Cardona “to take additional steps to protect our children.”
“Unfortunately, as you've seen throughout this pandemic, some politicians are trying to turn public safety measures — that is, children wearing masks in school — into political disputes for their own political gain,” Biden commented at Wednesday’s press briefing. “We are not going to sit by as governors try to block and intimidate educators protecting our children.”
Rather than outlawing mask-wearing in public schools, states such as Florida and Texas have banned mask mandates, leaving it up to parents, rather than the government, to make the decision for their children.
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