MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A third Shelby County family has joined a lawsuit against Gov. Bill Lee over his executive order that allows parents to opt their children out of school mask mandates.
Court documents show that a 14-year-old Collierville girl and her mother have joined the list of complaints. The girl, who is vaccinated, reportedly suffers from an immunodeficiency that “leaves her unable to rely on the COVID-19 vaccine’s efficacy.”
The suit claims that the opt-out executive violates the American With Disabilities Act and puts students with disabilities at risk.
“Gov. Lee’s Executive Order allowing parents to opt-out of the County’s mask mandate has placed the parents of those with disabilities, which make them more susceptible to severe reaction to COVID-19 infection, in the impossible situation of having to choose between the health and life of their children and the basic, fundamental right of an education for their children,” the suit states.
A Shelby County judge has issued a temporary restraining order, meaning the governor cannot enforce the executive order in Shelby County. That restraining order is set to expire September 17.
