Bill Lee school

Gov. Bill Lee visits Ross N. Robinson Middle School in January

 Photo: Theresa Montgomery/Office of Gov. Bill Lee

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s decision to allow parents to opt students out of local school mask requirements because the rule may “discriminate against students with disabilities who are at heightened risk for severe illness from COVID-19 by preventing them from safely accessing in-person education.”

The federal government sent letters to chief school officers in Tennessee, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah on Monday detailing the new investigations. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona previously informed Tennessee officials that he believed the mask exemption order might violate federal law.

Tags

Recommended for you