Mask debate moves from school boards to courtrooms

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST and COLLEEN LONG
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The often-heated debate over whether returning students should wear masks in the classroom has moved from school boards to courtrooms. In at least 14 states, lawsuits have been filed either for or against masks in schools. In some Republican-led states, normally rule-enforcing school administrators are finding themselves fighting state leaders. Legal experts say that while state laws normally trump local control, legal arguments from mask proponents have a good chance of coming out on top. But amid protests and even violence over masks around the United States, the court battle is just beginning.