Biden Education Department Opens Civil Rights Investigation Into 5 Red States For Mask Bans

Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 01:38 pm

The Biden Department of Education has opened a civil rights investigation into Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah for their mask bans.

The Department of Education Is Investigating States For Violating Student Civil Rights With Mask Bans

The AP reported:

The department’s Office for Civil Rights sent letters to education chiefs in Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah. Those states have barred schools from requiring masks among students and staff, a move that the department says could prevent some students from safely attending school.

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“It’s simply unacceptable that state leaders are putting politics over the health and education of the students they took an oath to serve,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement. “The department will fight to protect every student’s right to access in-person learning safely.”

The Biden Administration Has Been Warning States Not To Violate The Civil Rights of Students

President Biden directed the Department of Education to conduct civil rights investigations where necessary to protect the right of students to attend school safely.

The administration has been investigating whether the civil rights of students who are vulnerable to COVID are being violated in Republican-run states that impose mask bans. Texas and Florida are apparently not included in this investigation because each state has recently loss court cases related to their mask bans.

All kids need to be able to safely attend school, and Republicans are placing the health and welfare of students at risk by banning mask mandates.

This is an investigation that would have never happened under the previous administration, but President Biden is placing the health of students and their families ahead of cynical state red state governors’ actions that are being taken for political gain.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

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Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association