U.S. District Judge Robert Pratt abuses discretion by prohibiting the state of Iowa from banning mask mandates at schools

On its last hearing of the 2021 legislative session, the Iowa Legislature passed a bill prohibiting schools, cities, and counties from implementing mask mandates. The bill was signed by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. U.S. District Court Judge Robert Pratt’s ruling effectively prohibited the state from enforcing the mask mandate ban in any school district.

Two out of three judges in a judge panel consisting of Judges Duane Benton, Jane Kelly, and Ralph Erickson, in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, voted against the district court’s ruling of banning Iowa’s mask mandate for schools because the injunction was too broad.

According to The Iowa Torch:

When a court makes an injunction, it must address certain harm involved. In the case of a mask mandate ban, there was no harm involved.

“Plaintiffs are not harmed by the absence of mask requirements at schools their children do not attend. Further, to the extent that some schools in Iowa do not encounter anyone whose disabilities require the schools to make others wear masks, Section 280.31 may prohibit those schools from imposing mask requirements without violating federal disability law,” 8th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Duane Benton said. “This sweeps broader than the relief necessary to remedy Plaintiffs’ injuries and is an abuse of discretion.”

The ruling of the 8th Circuit Court remands the case back to Judge Pratt. This requires him to revise his injunction to apply to the plaintiffs’ schools.

Source: The Iowa Torch