PERRYSBURG, Ohio — Editor's note: The above video originally aired Nov. 21, 2021.
A group of Perrysburg parents have sued the Perrysburg School District over mask mandates that expired last month.
The plaintiffs filed their case in Wood County Common Pleas Court Feb. 25, arguing that the district's requirement for children to wear masks on school buses and in classrooms violates the state constitution.
Specifically, the case alleges that the district does not have authority to enforce health-related rules without a state health department order, that the mask requirement violated students' religious freedom by not allowing a religious exemption, that a school district does not have the authority to force medical treatments on students, and that the district may not treat vaccinated and unvaccinated children differently.
The plaintiffs in the case -- Kam Warner, Jennifer Cordova, Scott Maines and Denise Maines -- name the Perrysburg School Board and its members as defendants in the case.
In response to the lawsuit, Superintendent Tom Hosler released a statement.
"The school district does not comment on pending litigation, including the most recent lawsuit against Perrysburg Schools and its Board of Education. Our goal, as it has been throughout the pandemic, has been to balance the needs of all of our students, employees and families to ensure all students can achieve their greatest potential," the superintendent said.
Like most districts in the region and throughout Ohio, Perrysburg schools required its staff and students to wear face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The district ended its indoor mandate Feb. 7, making it optional for children to wear protective face masks. The requirement for children to wear masks on buses ended Feb. 25.
Nonetheless, the lawsuit asks a judge to rule that the mask requirement was illegal.
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