TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Kate Prince on Sep 8, 2021

U.S. District Judge Ronnie Greer in Knoxville has denied the request for a temporary restraining order against Gov. Bill Lee’s Executive Order 84, which allows parents to opt out of school mask mandates, the Associated Press reports. The parents of three Knox County Schools students filed suit against Lee’s order last week. Greer ruled that the plaintiffs didn’t file an affidavit or verified complaint, so they “have not demonstrated that they would suffer immediate and irreparable injury or loss.” A hearing is set for next week to address the lawsuit’s request to block the executive order and require a mask mandate in Knox County Schools, where officials have voted against instituting one. Greer's ruling is at odds with a similar case in Shelby County, where a federal judge in Memphis last week temporarily blocked Lee's order after a suit was filed by the parents of children with health problems.