Federal government files complaint against Florida for withholding school board pay
The U.S. Department of Education Thursday filed an administrative complaint against its Florida counterpart, asking the state education department to be found in violation of federal law over the state's ban on COVID-related mask mandates.
The feds' complaint, signed by General Counsel Lisa Brown, objects to the state holding up the federal funds used to replace state funds withheld from salaries of school board members who defied Gov. Ron DeSantis' ban.
The government now seeks a cease and desist order against the state education department from an administrative law judge, the 8-page complaint says. The feds earlier in the week had warned the state the complaint was coming.
Florida "has unlawfully and explicitly reduced the amount of state aid provided to Florida school districts based on their receipt of federal funds," it says. "It has done so as part of a broader effort to deter those districts from implementing practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."
Read more: https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/state/2021/10/28/federal-government-challenges-florida-school-board-mask-mandates-withheld-pay-education-department/6184441001/