Florida Gov. DeSantis Appeals Ruling That He Doesn’t Have Authority to Ban Mask Mandates in Schools

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in Surfside, Fla., on Aug. 10, 2021. Marta Lavandier/AP Photo

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appealed a judge’s ruling that the governor overreached and does not have the power to bar school districts from implementing mask mandates.

The notice to appeal filed Thursday by DeSantis’s office said that “the filing in this Notice triggers an automatic stay pending review.” Last week, Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper called DeSantis’s order unconstitutional and said he cannot enforce it.