Federal court dismisses case against Iowa governor’s ban on school mask mandates

By HANNAH FINGERHUT
Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal court has dismissed a legal challenge to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ policy prohibiting schools from instituting mask requirements. Families of students with disabilities during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic brought the legal challenge. The ruling Tuesday marks the conclusion of the yearslong court battle that originated in the fall of 2021. The lawsuit alleges Reynolds violated federal disability law by preventing schools from adopting mask mandates as an accommodation for students with disabilities. The law had been partially blocked for schools with students with disabilities for most of the 2021-2022 school year.