Congressional Hopeful Reverend Elvin Dowling Files Lawsuit Against Governor Ron DeSantis On Masks
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A Broward County congressional candidate has filed a lawsuit against Governor Ron DeSantis' Executive Order on banning mask mandates in Florida public schools.
Reverend Elvin Dowling, who hopes to succeed late US Representative Alcee Hastings and represent Florida's 20th Congressional District filed the complaint on Friday.
Dowling says with the governor's executive order will put his children in harm's way and violates his rights under the state constitution's due process clause by preventing Florida's school boards "from taking necessary and reasonable precautions such as a mask mandate" amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
DeSantis defended his efforts to prevent school mask mandates during a news conference Thursday in Tampa.
"It's a parent's choice in Florida, and government can't override the parents," DeSantis said.
The Executive Order DeSantis issued last week to prevent mask mandates, also allows state funding to be withheld from "noncompliant" school boards.
CBS4 reached out to the governor's office to get reaction about this lawsuit, but we have not heard back.
