On Friday, December 10, 2021, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling voided an order by the PA Department of Health (PDH) requiring students to wear masks in school. The decision upholds an earlier Commonwealth Court ruling that found the masking order issued in August by Acting PA Health Secretary Alison Beam to be unenforceable.

According to the court, Acting Sec. Beam lacked authority to require that students wear face masks while in school in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the school setting. However, the mask mandate was challenged in court by a group that included Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (R – Centre), which claimed it was opposing “government overreach.”

The ruling now places the responsibility on local school boards make pandemic mitigation decisions, including whether students are required to wear face masks in school.

A written opinion regarding the court’s decision will be made public at a future date.

Source: PennLive