Mask Mandate Reinstated At Rutgers After Faculty Legal Action

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — Masks are back at Rutgers University after the faculty unions were able to reverse a decision made last Monday eliminating the masking requirement outside the clinical setting.

Three Rutgers faculty unions said they were never consulted on the decision to remove the mask mandate and Friday afternoon, they filed a legal complaint with the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC).

"We learned (with little notice) that Rutgers would no longer require face coverings in classrooms and libraries ... Our unions won a temporary restraining order," said Rutgers professors Rebecca Givan and Todd Wolfson, president and vice president of Rutgers AAUP-AFT in this statement Monday. "These have been our goals from the start this fall: give instructors the right to weigh the concerns and judge what is best within their classrooms for their health and safety and that of their families, students and communities."

Monday, PERC sided with the unions, issuing a temporary order that now states everyone must wear face masks in libraries. PERC also said professors can still require masks in their individual classrooms.

For their part, Rutgers administration is trying to overturn the PERC ruling, and lift the mask requirement in libraries and remove the right of professors to require masks in their individual classrooms.

"Today’s action by PERC is temporary and will remain in place until a final decision is made by PERC," said Rutgers chief operating officer Antonio Calcado. "The university is confident that its Sept. 26 announcement was consistent with all applicable state and federal laws. Our decision to lift the mask mandate was based on current state and federal practices and is rooted in science and data."

A final decision on Rutgers' mask policies is still pending from PERC.