KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt has filed several motions and lawsuits in an effort to stop mask mandates in the state, in what has become a long and complex legal saga. In the latest development, his attempt to stop mask requirements in schools has fallen short.
A judge on Tuesday denied Schmitt's motions for an injunction on nearly every schooldistrict with a mask requirement. If approved, the motion would have prevented schools from requiring masks. After the decision, the requirements will be allowed to continue.
However, the judge also denied a motion to throw out Schmitt's lawsuit. That means, as of now, the AG's suit will continue to be heard in court.
Many districts will be off the hook for now though, since the judge also denied a motion to allow Schmitt to sue all the schools as one in a class action suit. That means he will now have to sue each district individually. The current suit will apply only to Columbia Public Schools.
The decision on Schmitt's case, if it successfully goes to court, would decide if CPS has the authority to institute such a mandate.
