By Richard Crumbacker

PRINCESS ANNE — On Feb. 14 — eight days before the Maryland State Board of Education is scheduled to meet and possibly modify or end the universal mask mandate in public schools — a lawsuit was filed in Somerset County Circuit Court by the Coalition of Maryland Parents, LLC, to  end the policy.

C.O.M.P., which represents 179 parent members and local organizations, is requesting a temporary restraining order and an injunction against the mask mandate, and the complaint is being served on Attorney General Brian Frosh and board President Clarence Crawford.

A legal fund was setup Feb. 7 and within one week C.O.M.P., which organized earlier this month in Charles County, reached its mid-way goal of $25,000 and retained the Annapolis law firm of Hartman and Egeli LLP, with Chs. Edward Hartman III the counsel of record.

"We are positively thrilled by the speedy work of our attorneys in preparing this request for temporary restraining order and injunction against the statewide school mask mandate," said Ali Rak, the group's co-founder who is also part of Reopen Charles County.

"Parents throughout the state of Maryland want their rightful decision-making power returned. Children are the least at risk for adverse outcomes from a COVID-19 infection and yet, the last to see restrictions removed throughout this entire year’s long ordeal."

The lawsuit was filed the same day Gov. Larry Hogan ordered the end of the mask mandate in all state buildings effective Feb. 22. While he has called for the state board to rescind its policy, he feels he no longer has the authority to act on his own.

That point is especially troubling for Ms. Rak. In a radio interview on WBAL-AM just days after the start of fundraising she asked pointedly, “People want to know why, in March 2020, [then-State Superintendent] Dr. Karen Salmon and Larry Hogan had the authority to close every single school in this state down, but then they couldn’t open them, they couldn’t force them to open in August 2020.”

“People want to know why in Delaware, why in Virginia, the governor is the one deciding mask mandates but here in Maryland Larry Hogan can’t do anything.” She said to her this was “by design” so the governor would be insulated from the decision.

Another point Ms. Rak argues is that there is evidence that the risk of masks outweigh any benefit for the students.

She said should the Maryland State Board of Education at its Feb. 22 meeting vote to rescind or modify the mask policy to the point where the complaint can be dropped, the law firm will still  be retained to serve as a watchdog on behalf of the parent coalition.

“They will be on guard for any other nonsense the state board might bring against our students,” Mr. Rak said during her radio interview.

In its press announcement C.O.M.P. expressed its thanks to the attorneys “for their to unmasking Maryland children” as well as to their grassroots members and donors. It continues to receive non-tax-deductible donations toward the legal fund on its website https://coalitionofmarylandparents.nationbuilder.com/

It can be reached at coalitionofmarylandparents@gmail.com for more information. One question posed to the coalition was why is the case being filed in Somerset County, but there was no immediate response.