DETROIT, MI (MPRN)-- A federal appeals court hears arguments this week on whether some Michigan students should be required to wear masks in classrooms.
The case involves a Catholic elementary school – Lansing-based Resurrection School -- which contends that any state mandate that children age 5 and older wear a mask in classrooms is unconstitutional.
The school says the rule violates “sincerely held religious beliefs…” because they say humans were made in the image of God, and masks shield that image from being seen.
They also allege requiring masks poses a health or learning problem for students who have allergies, difficulty breathing, or trouble being understood when they talk through a face covering.
A federal judge has already denied a preliminary injunction in the case. Michigan health officials recommend that students and faculty wear masks at school, though it’s up to individual districts to set their own rules regarding safety protocols against COVID-19.
The superintendent of Detroit’s Public Schools Community District, for one, says at the moment they plan to require masks indoors unless everyone in a room is vaccinated.
Children under age 12 are not yet eligible to receive a vaccine.