Peekskill To Follow State Ed Guidance, Will Require Masks Indoors

PEEKSKILL, NY — Students and staff in the Peekskill school district will continue to wear masks while indoors, in spite of a state Supreme Court ruling invalidating Gov. Kathy Hochul's mandate.

In a message to the community on the district's website, Superintendent David Marucio said the state Education Department advised schools that an appeal by the Department of Health of the Nassau County Supreme Court ruling will trigger an automatic stay "that will unambiguously restore the mask rule until such time as an appellate court issues a further ruling."

Therefore, the Education Department said schools "must continue to follow the mask rule."

According to Monday's decision by Judge Thomas Rademaker, the law was "promulgated and enacted unlawfully by an executive branch state agency and therefore void and unenforceable as a matter of law."

The decision also said that it does not "opine on the efficacy, need or requirement of masks as a means or tool in dealing with the COVID-19 virus." The issue is only whether or not the rule was properly enacted, the decision said.

Marucio said the district will seek further clarity from its legal counsel on the issue and will send updates as they become available.