South Cook News

GOP gubernatorial candidate State Sen. Darren Bailey is applauding Marist High School for challenging Chicago’s authors over child masking.

"I applaud Marist for stepping up and doing what is right for their students and ending the forced masking of children. It’s time for Pritzker and Lightfoot to end their quest to ignore parents and control kids and start doing their job to ensure students are provided the opportunity for a quality education," Bailey told South Cook News. 

Bailey was one of the first anti-mask legislators to unmasked in the General Assembly chambers back in May 2020.

As part of his campaign for governor, Bailey has been traveling the state promoting unmasking and vaccine choice.

Marist is located just within Chicago’s city limits, making the status a direct challenge to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. 

Chicago maintains that its mask mandate is unaffected by the court ruling and has noted its intent to mask kids indefinitely. 

The school noted the change in a letter to Lightfoot and Chicago Public Health Czar Dr. Allison Arwady. 

"For the last two years we have done all that’s been asked – and more – when it comes to combating COVID and keeping our communities as safe as possible. And we have done it the right way – in partnership with our families as well as state and local public health officials and government leaders," the school said.  

School leaders noted the negative impacts COVID protocols have on learning and teaching. 

"The last two years have taken a huge toll on our students," the letter reads. "Our guidance counselors report rising caseloads of students with worsening social and emotional problems. Data from across the country tell the tale of increasing depression, suicide and other serious emotional health problem students experience as COVID restrictions continue."

School leaders emphatically asked Chicago to overturn the mask ruling. 

"At the same time, we see state after state move away from mask mandates. It’s time our city did the same. We urge you to immediately rescind the City of Chicago’s indoor mask mandate, at least as it applies to schools and school events," the letter reads. "Not only has the indoor mask mandate outlived its usefulness, but it’s also inflicting tangible damage to our young people that will take years to heal. The sooner we get to that work, the better all of us – including the young people who will lead our communities in the future – will be.

"The moral, educational and interpersonal imperative must now be on the emotional well being of our students going forward. Please, rescind the indoor mask mandate for schools, now." 

Marist’s move comes after an appellate court sided with a lower court against Gov. J.B. Pritker’s continued mask mandates. 

Pritzker has now appealed that ruling to the Illinois Supreme Court in what will likely be a final and futile attempt to keep kids masked indefinitely. 

The Fourth District Appellate Court backed up an earlier ruling by Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow overturning the mask mandate. 

In that ruling, Grischow said Pritzker’s blanket state emergency school in the form of mask and test mandates through the Illinois Department of Public Health were "null and void." She said the governor and his agencies have been mandating rules upon students illegally.

The school is one of several moving mask-optional. Altogether, WBEZ reports around 700 of the state's 859 school have announced a mask-optional policy. 

CPS is most notable in its defiance. The school district is responsible of over 340,000, and is the third largest in the country. Its CEO has been called into court for a contempt hearing for allegedly not adhering to court orders. 

Pritzker was also accused of attempting to subvert the courts to reinstitute the mask mandate and other protocols.