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Parents send letter of intent to sue Gwinnett County Schools over mask mandate

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Updated  August 11, 2021 11:07pm EDT
Gwinnett County Public Schools
FOX 5 Atlanta
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GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - The state's largest school district will soon face a lawsuit over its mask mandate.

Some Gwinnett County Public Schools parents sent a letter of intent to the school board. They're part of a Facebook group called Gwinnett County Parents For Quality Education.

One woman says she pulled two of her daughters out of school. She claims masks negatively affect her children's ability to be social and has caused mental health issues, like anxiety.

"Those are my children. Me and my husband, we make the decisions that are best for our children. And if our Gwinnett County leaders have the opportunity to exercise what they feel is best for them in a very public setting, then I should have the same rights for my own children," said parent Holly Terei.

SEE ALSO: 'Talk to your doctor': Kemp urges Georgians to strongly consider getting vaccinated

Delta variant surge complicating return to the office plan

As Georgia experiences the fourth wave of COVID-19, many companies are delaying in person returns to the workplace and grappling with how to handle unvaccinated employees.

The school district says it does not comment on pending lawsuits. 

The school district announced the new mandate at the end of July after initially saying masks would be optional. Officials cited the rise in cases and, in particular, a rise in the more virulent Delta variant, which now accounts for about 90% of new cases across the state, according to health officials.

As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, the two-week average of new COVID-19 positive PCR tests has risen to 3,272, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. The GDPH data also shows for the second day in a row, the combined positive PCR and antigen tests have inched higher, hovering just below 7,000, a number not seen since the end of January. The seven-day average is now above 5,536.

Vaccinations in Georgia this week surpassed 9 million doses with 46.5% of those 12 and older who can receive the vaccine is fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That number lags behind the national average of 58.8%.

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