Superintendent Statement on Recent Court Ruling
February 05, 2022
February 5, 2022
Dear Pleasant Hill CUSD #3 families:
I write to ask for your continued patience and understanding as our district navigates the latest changes to the COVID-19 guidance, as well as the ever-changing legal situation.
As you may already know, late on February 4, 2022 Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow entered a temporary restraining order (TRO) enjoying (prohibiting) the defendant school districts from (i) requiring students and teachers to wear masks, absent a lawful order of quarantine issued in conformance with the IDPH Act; (ii) excluding students and teachers based on an alleged close contact unless due process is afforded and IDPH procedures are followed; and (iii) requiring weekly COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated employees without first providing due process of law. The Board of Education, Administration, and legal counsel are reviewing the Judge’s 29-page order and its implications for the district.
It is anticipated the Governor, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Illinois State Board of Education (the State Defendants), along with one or more school districts, will immediately appeal the Judge’s order to the appellate court seeking to reverse the TRO. In fact, the State Defendants have already requested Judge Grischow to stay the enforcement of the TRO until the appellate court rules on the matter. A hearing on the request for a stay may be held as early as today or tomorrow. In other words, no one knows how long the TRO will remain in place.
It is the intention of Pleasant Hill CUSD #3 to comply with the TRO until otherwise directed by the trial court or the appellate court. While the district encourages the use of masks and COVID-19 testing (which the district will continue to make available), it will not exclude students or staff who choose either not to wear a mask or to be tested.
Please understand, however, whether the TRO remains in place or not, the legal issues raised in the underlying litigation remain to be resolved at trial. While Judge Grischow entered a TRO, she has not yet conducted an evidentiary hearing or made a final decision on whether the State Defendants and/or the school district defendants have the authority to impose such restrictions. In short, the TRO entered on February 4th is not the final word on the issue.
We certainly appreciate your continued support through these trying times. As a community we will come through this stronger than before.
Sincerely,
Ron Edwards, Superintendent
