MISSOULA — More than two years after Missoula parents filed a lawsuit over indoor mask mandates in schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Montana Supreme Court has ruled in the schools' favor.
Eleven parents with Missoula County Public Schools, Target Range, and Hellgate Elementary — along with Standup Montana out of Gallatin County — filed a lawsuit in August of 2021 over indoor mask mandates.
Their lawsuit claimed the mandate violates parents’ and children’s right to privacy, personal dignity and violated the state's constitution.
But in the Montana Supreme Court decision filed on December 12, 2023, the justices said those three Missoula schools had a legitimate interest in quote "preventing infections among teachers, staff and volunteers to ensure sufficient staffing levels are available for the schools to function properly."
Click here to read the court documents associated with the case.
