Bloomberg Law
Jan. 18, 2022, 3:02 PM

Pittsburgh-Area School District Must Reinstate Mask Mandate

Mary Anne Pazanowski
Mary Anne Pazanowski
Legal Reporter

A Western Pennsylvania school district must reinstate a universal masking policy because medically fragile students are likely to show its optional mask plan poses a barrier to in-person education based on their disabilities, a federal court said.

Covid-19 transmission is increased absent a mandatory masking policy, and immunocompromised students are more likely to contract the virus and suffer severe illness or death, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania said.

A cyber school-only option doesn’t appear to reasonably accommodate the students’ educational and family needs, the court also said.

The court Monday issued a temporary restraining order ...