New York’s mask mandate for schools and other public places was struck down by a Long Island judge who said it’s an illegal end-run around the constitution.
The mask-wearing rule was issued Dec. 10 by the state’s health commissioner, at the urging of Governor Kathy Hochul, at the start of the omicron surge of the coronavirus pandemic. A group of parents in Nassau County sued to block the mandate, saying their school-aged children shouldn’t be forced to wear masks.
Nassau Supreme Court Judge Thomas Rademaker ruled Monday that Health Commissioner Mary Bassett lacked legal authority when she issued the regulation, given the state Legislature’s recent move to curb the power of the executive branch.
