Good evening,
This is Donna Geidel, interim superintendent of schools, with an update regarding the New York State Supreme Court, County of Nassau decision and order that was issued Jan. 24, 2022.
Late this afternoon, a Justice of the Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department, temporarily granted the application for an Order to Show Cause by counsel for the Department of Health and the governor’s office, requesting that the lower court’s decision be stayed pending a hearing and determination of the Appellate Division.
The Appellate Court Justice granted this request and stayed the lower court’s order and set a hearing for Friday, Jan. 28,2022.
As a result of this Court’s decision temporarily staying the lower court’s order, New York State Commissioner of Education Betty A. Rosa issued a statement that the mask mandate will remain in effect in schools across the state until at least the hearing on Friday. Hopefully after that hearing, we will have more information to share with the community.
A copy of the signed Order to Show Cause can be found here, as well as the message from Commissioner Rosa.