A Hockessin attorney and mother of a student has filed a lawsuit against Delaware Governor John Carney over his decision to extend the school mask mandate until March 31.
Janice Lorrah filed a motion for preliminary injunction on February 15. According to the 43-page court document obtained by TV Delmarva, the injunction calls Governor’s Carney of the mask mandate extension null and void and violates state statutes and due process. The suit cites Delaware’s Administration Procedures Act, stating that the Governor can only enact emergency regulation for 180 days max.
Governor Carney lifted the mandate on February 7, effective for February 11. However, students in school would still be required to mask until the end of March.
“This is not about whether masking is good or bad, or whether masks are even effective, It is about following the rule of law,” Lorrah says in a statement.
Lorrah is the parent of a 6-year-old daughter who attends first grade.
“Someone asked me if I was afraid that my daughter would get COVID,” Lorrah says in a statement. “I’m
more afraid of my daughter growing up in a society where due process is ignored.”
We’ve reached out to the Governor’s office for comment and have not heard back. This is a working story and we will update as it progresses.
The case will be heard in-person on February 28 at 9:15 a.m. at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in Wilmington.