Chicago Public Schools being sued over continued mask mandate

CHICAGO - A downstate Illinois attorney is suing Chicago Public Schools over their continued face mask requirement.

Attorney Tom Devore is running for Illinois attorney general as a Republican. He requested a temporary restraining order, arguing CPS students are suffering from "continuing harm."

CPS is one of the few school districts to still enforce a mask mandate.

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The Chicago Teachers Union blasted the lawsuit, accusing Devore of leveraging the safety of students for his own political gain.

On Wednesday night, CPS in an email to parents stated that in the near future, they would be making masks optional for students and staff.

"We are writing to let you know that while CPS’ current universal masking policy remains in place in CPS schools and offices, we expect that CPS will be moving to a mask-optional model for all students and staff in the near future.

This change will be consistent with updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding masking, and guided by rapidly declining case counts within CPS and the City of Chicago. That said, we understand that this change will be a major adjustment for many in our school communities. Please know that CPS will provide all schools with the supports and resources they need as we transition to this next phase of the pandemic.

When schools do go mask optional, CPS will strongly encourage the use of masks among all staff and students, and our goal will be to ensure that students and staff continue to feel safe and supported in a positive, in-person learning environment. We thank you for your patience and partnership during this evolving situation and will communicate more with you very soon."