Kentucky attorney general sues Governor for banning in-person learning at religious schools

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) –
The attorney general of Kentucky has joined a lawsuit filed by a Christian school against Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., that seeks to prevent the implementation of a state COVID-19 ban on in-person learning, the Christian Post reports. Arguing the ban violates First Amendment rights, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron joined the suit filed Friday by Danville Christian Academy.

Beshear issued Executive Order 2020-969 on Wednesday last week, ordering all public and private elementary, middle and high schools to “cease in-person instruction and transition to remote or virtual instruction” starting on Monday, the Christian Post reports. While middle and high schools must remain closed until January 4, elementary schools can resume in-person learning on December 7, as long as they are not in a designated “Red Zone County.” Beshear said he was issuing the order because of a “potentially catastrophic surge in COVID-19 cases.”

However, AG Cameron has made a statement that the order as it pertains to religious schools “prohibits religious organizations from educating children consistent with and according to their faith.” Cameron explained this mandate is unconstitutional as the First Amendment of the US Constitution protects the “ability to provide and receive a private religious education.”

Noting that Kentucky classrooms have some 25 pupils in them, Cameron’s office pointed out that the Governor’s Executive Order 2020-968 allows “venues, event spaces, and theaters” to open with a maximum “25 people per room. “If it is safe for individuals to gather in venues, shop in stores, and work in office environments, why is it unsafe for Kentucky schools to continue in-person operations while applying the same safety protocols?” Cameron asked.

Accordingly, Cameron said: “The Governor’s orders are arbitrary and inconsistent when it comes to school closures in Kentucky. We urge the Governor to follow the legal opinions issued earlier this year by multiple federal judges and allow religious schools to follow in-person instruction while following recommended health guidelines.”

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