One of the largest Florida teachers unions sued the state on Monday, in an effort to halt next month’s planned restart of classroom instruction. The lawsuit says classroom instruction poses “imminent threat to the public health, safety and welfare” of its members, students and parents. Citing the state’s position as a leading U.S. coronavirus hot spot, the Florida Education Association (FEA) argued in its lawsuit that in-class instruction violates the state constitution’s guarantee of a “safe” education for children.
The union’s complaint against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and other officials asks the state Circuit Court in Miami-Dade County for an emergency order halting classroom in-class instruction to avoid “irreparable harm.” The complaint added, “The spread of COVID-19 that will result from the unsafe reopening of schools during the surge is not limited to students, teachers, school administrators, or school staff and will undoubtably spread to their families and communities.”
With new coronavirus infections having topped 10,000 per day for nearly a week, Florida has emerged as one of the country’s epicenters for the pandemic in recent weeks.
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