Northwest Allen County Schools responded to a lawsuit filed by a group of parents on behalf of their children on Monday.
The complaint was filed Sept. 13 in Allen County Superior Court and names several people in the NACS administration and the board of trustees as defendants, as well as government and health officials for both the county and the state.
According to the complaint, the school district and other officials have “imposed illegal and unconstitutional mask mandates, contact tracing, and quarantine procedures” on students.
The lawsuit calls for the district to focus on education rather than enforcing “unlawful mandates.”
NACS responded to the lawsuit in a statement Monday evening, saying the district’s focus remains on meeting students’ needs and they are confident the courts will rule in their favor.
The release also said “continuing to provide opportunities for students to access learning onsite in a healthy and safe learning environment” remains the district’s priority.
The complaint was filed by six parents on behalf of thirteen students. It comes after a year of tension between the NACS board and parents over pandemic restrictions.
Earlier this year, the board heard several hours of public input on requiring masks. When the school year began in August, NACS was not mandating masks, but chose to update their plans to include a mask requirement after monitoring COVID-19 numbers in their schools.
The parents are represented by Fort Wayne-based attorney Kevin Mitchell, who identifies himself on his website as a parent of NACS students.
Forbing et al vs. NACS, Gov. Eric Holcomb et al by Rebecca Green Knight on Scribd
