Plaintiff Accuses D-86 Of 'Lawlessness' On Masks

Darien IL

14 February, 2022

1:32 PM

Description

DARIEN, IL — One of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Hinsdale High School District 86 accused officials of "lawlessness" on how they handled masks last week. Colleen Malloy, a medical doctor, was one of hundreds of parents across the state who sued nearly 150 school districts for carrying out Gov. J.B. Pritzker's mask mandate. Earlier this month, a downstate judge suspended the mast requirement for the districts in the litigation. The other District 86 plaintiffs were Michelle and Bryan Ptak, Deborah Noel and Sean Piazza. Last Monday, the district continued the mask requirement, saying its lawyers contended it could. According to the district, everyone at Hinsdale South complied, but 8 percent at Central did not. Violators were sent home for remote learning or to the auditorium, the district said. Malloy spoke during public comments at Thursday's school board meeting. "My daughter had been sent to the dean's office and then the auditorium when her maskless face was spotted during the passing period," Malloy said. "The district acted unlawfully and is in contempt of court. I immediately sent an email asking that she be released from the auditorium." Malloy said she had to leave her job as a health care worker to ensure her daughter was able to return to class. "In her quarantine, she received no due process," Malloy said. "There was intimidation of children who refused to be medically quarantined without due process, as is their right under the law." Malloy argued the district was guilty of the misdemeanor of interfering with a child's education by threats or intimidation, which she said was punishable by jail time and fines. "The district will be held accountable for its lawlessness," she said. She was one of dozens of public commenters upset with the continuation of the mask mandate. The board later voted 5-2 to keep it. Last Monday, the district said it was making an exception to the mask mandate for the children of plaintiffs.