PHOENIX (AP) – A Phoenix science teacher is urging a judge to stop a district-wide mask mandate that violates a new state law, district officials said Tuesday. Richard Franco, a spokesman for the Phoenix Union High School District, confirmed Douglas Hester’s motion for an injunction on the mandate. The superintendent and the members of the board of directors are named as defendants in the motion. “We stand behind our decision to require masks now and stand firm in our commitment to do everything in our power to protect our employees, students, families, and the wider community. “Franco said in a statement. School district attorneys have been instructed to bring their case to a hearing in Maricopa County Superior Court on Wednesday. The trial could be a test case for Arizona school districts determined to defy Republican Governor Doug Ducey. The Phoenix Union, which resumed classes on Monday, has around 28,000 students and 4,000 employees. Its board of directors decided last week to enforce the wearing of masks indoors. Hester is listed on the district website as a biology, environmental science, and math teacher at Metro Tech High School. “No school district is above the law,” Alexander Kolodin, Hester’s attorney, told The Arizona Republic. “We’re excited to be taking steps on behalf of this brave teacher to ensure government agencies comply with state law.” A second school, Phoenix Elementary, approved a mandatory mask rule on Monday regardless of the vaccination status of students, staff and visitors . Exceptions only exist for special medical reasons. “We know our children learn best personally, and we will implement containment strategies that will help minimize the spread of disease, reduce the need for quarantines, and avoid class and school closings,” said one Declaration of the district. The Phoenix Elementary has mainly 14 schools located in central Phoenix. The district’s more than 5,000 students begin classes on Thursday. The state ban on mask requirements by school districts was included in the budget law passed at the end of June. The law won’t go into effect until September 29, but it contains a provision that says the ban is retroactive. It is not clear whether the state ban is now in place. A lawmaker backing the ban has asked government attorneys to indicate when it will take effect. In Other Developments: – Virus-induced hospital admissions in Arizona more than doubled in the last month, according to data reported Tuesday by state health officials. As of Monday, 1,207 COVID-19 patients were in hospital beds, up from 520 a month earlier on July 2. The state reported 1,974 additional COVID-19 cases and 30 more deaths, bringing the total pandemic count to 933,361 cases and 18,282 deaths.— The chief clinical officer of Banner Health, the state’s largest hospital system, pleaded with the public on Tuesday to get vaccinated. Dr. Marjorie Bessel warned that increases in falls like in July 2020 and January are very likely very, large surges, ”said Bessel during a virtual press conference. Banner Health also announced that it would tighten visitor restrictions due to the increasing spread of the virus. The restrictions stipulate that only one or two visitors per patient per day are allowed, depending on the location. In addition, visitors must be at least 12 years old and must not have or be suspected of having COVID-19.— Yavapai County announced on Monday that it will close its public buildings again from Thursday due to rising COVID-19 infections and hospital stays and the county’s low vaccination rate, The Daily Courier reported. As with previous closings during the pandemic, the county offices and services will continue to operate, although public access will be restricted, said Chairman of the Board, Craig Brown.
[ad_2]
