Chicago City Wire

Chicago Public Schools is going mask-optional beginning next week, just before a hearing set to determine whether the school district is in compliance with several rulings against the practice.

The move comes as the state’s largest public school system is under scrutiny for attempting to continue masking of its some 340,000 students spread over 653 schools.

The school system’s CEO Pedro Martinez was scheduled to appear in court to face a contempt of court hearing on Feb. 24, but that was overridden by a new order filed after an appellate court ruled against masking and the refusal of the Illinois Supreme Court to take up the case, attorney Tom DeVore told Chicago City Wire. 

"CPS put out an internal memo to all their administrators. And I've since heard from their lawyer that they're switching to a fully mask optional policy beginning of the week for kids," said DeVore, who last week announced his candidacy for Illinois attorney general. 

CPS was one of 145 districts DeVore represented in Judge Raylene Grischow’s courtroom in Sangamon County Court when she rule masks unconstitutional. 

Since that ruling, nearly every school district in the state has flipped to a mask-optional policy. 

CPS has been a holdout despite court rulings and accusations of illegal misconduct related to maintaining a mandate the courts have roundly rejected. 

DeVore said it was only after the hearing was set for Thursday, March 10, that Martinez flipped the policy. 

"The memo that was put out by Mr. Martinez was within a couple of hours after I got my hearing for next Thursday that the tent is set for a restraining order against them," DeVore said. 

The CDC quietly revised its masking policy on the same day.

The effectiveness of commonly worn surgical masks is effectively zero, according to published academic research. 

In fact, other academics have said that mandatory masking and other protocols create community-wide sociological and psychological problems related to newly created barriers.

Many parents have reportedly been struggling with the regulatory environment as well, given the various responses to the pandemic across the country. 

Martinez sent out the note below to CPS’s principals. 

Dear Principals,

We are writing to let you know that while we will continue to strongly encourage the use of masks in schools, we expect that CPS will be moving to a

mask optional model for all students and staff in

the near future.

We understand that this will be a major adjustment for our school communities, and we

are committed to providing you with all the support you need during this transition. We will

provide you with materials shortly, including communications to be shared with your families

and staff and more details about how we will operationalize this change in schools.

Please complete this form to help us plan for how best to support you as we move to the next phase of this pandemic. We thank you for your continued leadership during this evolving situation and will communicate more with you very soon.

Sincerely,

Pedro Martinez