A high school biology teacher in Arizona filed a lawsuit against the Phoenix Union High School District on Monday, claiming that the board’s decision to impose indoor mask mandates violated a state law.
Douglas Hester, who teaches Biology 1 and 2 at Metro Tech High School, sued the school district, its governing board and its superintendent. The case will be adjudicated by the Maricopa County Superior Court, according to The Arizona Republic.
The school district had approved a face-covering mandate during its governing board’s emergency meeting Monday, which became grounds for Hester’s lawsuit, The Arizona Republic reported. (RELATED: Group Of Mississippi Parents Ask Governor To Sign EO Banning Mask Mandates)
The high school teacher argued in the lawsuit that the board did not possess the legal authority to mandate masks, as such a decision runs contrary to Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Dacey’s June 15 executive order that had barred educational institutions in the state from requiring COVID-19 vaccination or masks from students before allowing them to attend classes in-person.
“What is important is making sure that the government is not above the law,” Hester’s attorney Alexander Kolodin said of the lawsuit, AZ Family reported.
“We’re just asking the court to say, one, the policies and procedures that the Phoenix Union High School District have enacted are unlawful and they can’t do it anymore,” Kolodin added, noting that the lawsuit does not and cannot ask for monetary compensation.