JEFFERSON CITY — Attorney General Eric Schmitt on Wednesday urged parents to turn in school districts with COVID-19 orders that he says are violating a recent court ruling issued last month.
“We want to hear from you about school districts continuing to enforce mask mandates and quarantines, in violation of the recent Cole County ruling,†Schmitt said on Twitter. “Parents are sick and tired of the stonewalling, and so are we.â€
He asks parents to email “illegalmandates@ago.mo.gov†with tips.
The call follows letters Schmitt sent on Tuesday to local governments and school boards telling them to immediately end COVID-19 health orders following a Cole County judge’s ruling striking state regulations dealing with health orders.
But Christine McDonald, spokeswoman for , a nonprofit representing 60 ºüÀêÊÓƵ-area school districts, said Wednesday districts are still assessing how or if they are affected by the ruling.
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“EdPlus is still looking for clarity on whether or not that ruling does apply to school districts,†she said.
“We’re confused, so we’re sitting tight until there’s more clarity and not making any dramatic changes,†McDonald said. “Most parents want to know what the parameters are and they don’t want it to be going back and forth.
“Most districts feel that it’s best just to sit tight and work with the boards of education over the next four to six weeks, coming up with what is the best plan for their community,†she said.
Donald Kauerauf, director of the Department of Health and Senior Services, has said that the Cole County order will take effect on Dec. 22.
“How that actually applies or impacts school districts, our school districts are still consulting with their legal counsel to understand better what that means, especially since we have not received any clarity from anyone at the state or at the local level,†McDonald said.
McDonald said the masking orders in place aren’t grounded in the state regulations that Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green invalidated last month.
Schmitt’s spokesman, Chris Nuelle, said health mandates in schools are illegal because the “Legislature has not delegated authority to school districts or school boards to enact public health orders, and the Cole County ruling further reinforces that point.â€
But the Kearney School District in western Missouri is still requiring masks. In a letter to parents sent Tuesday, interim Superintendent Todd White wrote that lawyers for the district “advised us that no action is necessary at this time in response to the Attorney General’s letter.â€
Columbia Public Schools also sent a letter to parents Tuesday, saying the district is still reviewing the effect of the judge’s ruling.
“In the meantime, we will maintain the health protocols currently in place at CPS and in our buildings,†the letter stated.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Originally posted at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.