Sangamon Sun

GOP gubernatorial candidate Jesse Sullivan prides himself on being the antithesis of Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“This governor will stop at nothing to ensure he alone controls the lives of our schoolchildren,” Sullivan said. “The governor has proven he only cares to listen to the most extreme ideologues within the Chicago Teachers Union and Washington, D.C. As governor, I promise to put parents’ voices first."

Sullivan points out that just hours after Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow issued a temporary restraining order rendering enforcement of his executive orders mandating masks in schools null and void, Pritzker was already planning to appeal and vowing to take his fight all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court.

Sullivan is convinced that won’t be necessary.

“More than 500 Illinois school districts were already ignoring his hollow threats,” he added. “Now, the appellate court has sided with parents in striking down Pritzker's mandate.”

 As part of her order, Grischow stipulated, Illinois law designates the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) as the “supreme authority” in matters of quarantine and isolation, not the governor. She added IDPH “must follow state law regarding procedures to comply with due process requirements.”

As it is, the New York Times reports if Pritzker gets his way, Illinois stands to be just one of 11 with a statewide school mask mandate in place. While recently announcing he plans to lift the statewide indoor mask mandate by the end of the month, Pritzker has been noncommittal about doing the same in schools.

In the wake of Grischow’s order, more than 500 districts across the state have moved to go “fully masks optional.”

In addition, The Center Square reports students attending one of the 145 schools represented in the suit filed by attorney Thomas DeVore won’t have to wear a mask if they don’t want to and must be given due process by law.

Grischow also recently ordered CPS CEO Pedro Martinez to appear before the court on a contempt of court complaint.

"It is ordered that Mr. Pedro Martinez, as agent for the City of Chicago School District #299, and the Board of Education of City of Chicago School District #299, shall personally appear before this court and show cause as to why the defendants should not be held in contempt for failure to abide by and comply with this Court's prior order of February 04, 2022," her Feb. 14 order reads.

With CPS being the third-largest school district (347,000 students) in the country, DeVore has routinely threatened those at the top for not obeying a restraining order preventing the district from treating students who unmask differently from those who continue to mask.

On the first day of school after Grischow’s order, Hinsdale Central High made news by isolating a growing number of students who refused to wear masks in the school auditorium.

“If I can confirm that the Hinsdale School District or any school district is isolating children that are plaintiffs in this case, and I know that to be true, I'm going to ask the judge, 'Put somebody in the county jail' as soon as I have the first available opportunity,” DeVore told DuPage Policy Journal. “That's what I'm going to try to do because they cannot do that.”