STANDING HIS GROUND

DeSantis Threatens to Withhold Superintendent Salaries Over School Mask Mandates

As Florida school districts continue to defy his orders.

Florida Gov. Ron Desantis’ office released a statement claiming that the state’s education board could withhold superintendents’ salaries if their school districts defy his mask mandate ban, CBS4 Miami reports. “For example, the State Board of Education could move to withhold the salary of the district superintendent or school board members, as a narrowly tailored means to address the decision-makers who led to the violation of law,” wrote DeSantis’ office.

On Monday, Superintendent Rocky Hanna of Leon County Schools announced his district would require elementary and middle school students to wear masks during the start of the year, despite DeSantis’ ban. Other Florida school districts had already announced they would be doing the same.

The governor claims his order was meant to preserve the rights of parents, despite a surge in lawsuits saying the ban puts students’ health at risk amid a major COVID outbreak in Florida. Another lawsuit argues that the executive order violates the Americans With Disabilities Act as some students with disabilities are at higher risk of worse outcomes from COVID-19, ClickOrlando reported.