TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Sep 27, 2021

A third federal judge has ruled that Gov. Bill Lee may not enforce an order requiring schools to offer parents an opt-out of mask mandates, the Tennessean reports. The decision from U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr. means that Williamson County and Franklin Special schools will be able to enforce mask mandates for now. The decision mirrors those by judges in Shelby and Knox counties, who also temporarily blocked the governor's order in those school districts. Lee's order is set to expire at 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 5. On Friday, the governor said he has not yet decided whether to renew it. This afternoon, Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III announced that he has appealed and will seek a stay of the court decisions in Shelby and Knox counties. Slatery said the court orders impede the governor’s executive authority to direct the state’s public health response during an emergency.