Jeffco public health director spars with Christian school attorneys in court over mask mandate Source: The Denver Post:

"Attorneys for three small Christian schools faced off with Jefferson County Public Health’s executive director Tuesday during a daylong hearing in which the county health department sought to force the schools to follow its COVID-19 mask mandate for students.

The health department sought a judge’s order last week after the agency found that three schools were not properly enforcing mask mandates in their classrooms, according to court filings. The schools objected, saying both that they were following the county’s guidance — which they argued was issued late, lacked legal authority and changed over time — and that the county’s public health order was unconstitutional, among other arguments, Shelly Bradbury reports."

Photo caption: "Parents of kids in the Jeffo Public Schools district gather on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021 outside county public health headquarters in Lakewood to protest mandatory masking for students ages 3-11. On Monday, Jefferson County Schools announced it was expanding its mask order to all students." (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post)