Parent group sues to block COVID rules
by Garth Meyer
South Bay Parents Push Back filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday against the Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach School District, and Torrance public school districts to block COVID-19 protocols relating to mask wearing, quarantining, and testing.
“To quit abusing, harassing and discriminating against children over CDPH (California Department of Public Health) guidance,” said attorney Tracy Henderson of Carmel, who represents the parents group, which formed in October 2020.
The case alleges that districts’ COVID-19 protocols have caused “serious physical and emotional damage to our state’s most vulnerable population; its young scholars.”
The lawsuit seeks a court order to block the school district from enforcing COVID-19 protocols.
The civil case also names the California Department of Health, California Department of Education and Los Angeles County Department of Health.
“Masking is causing the most harm to these kids for social development and academic development,” said Summer Bailey, founder of South Bay Parents Push Back (SBPB). She has a son at South Torrance High School.
SBPB member Charise Maribal, of Torrance, whose children attend Redondo district schools, said, “My personal hope is that our superintendents, and school boards choose to roll back the misguided, harmful restrictions put in place by unelected officials in the state and county health departments. And rightfully return health choice back to parents. ”
Redondo Parents for School Transparency organized a “Let Them Breathe” rally last July in front of the Redondo School District office.
“We’ve been fighting back hard for a year and a half now,” Bailey said. ER