Michael Boyle, superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Joliet, canceled all Diocese of Joliet basketball games scheduled over the weekend, as an Illinois judge granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) prohibiting school districts across the state from mandating masks.
Boyle’s decision, facing broad criticism, drew comments from radio talk show host Dan Proft as well as former state lawmaker Jeanne Ives who voiced concerns over Boyle’s actions.
“This doesn’t sound like the Mike Boyle I know who took me around to Catholic schools in the poorest parts of Chicago, who led St. Mike’s through a transition for two years, whose kids played sports with mine, and who I served on a four-person committee with to improve St. Mike’s academic outcomes,” Ives wrote in a Feb. 5 Facebook post. “I am disappointed and praying for a change of heart from him.”
This comes as Boyle said he would not have guidance completed and distributed in time to guide the expected behaviors for the weekend’s games. Among comments, Proft called for Boyle’s resignation, citing his action as a punishment to the children of the schools.
The Diocese of Joliet includes DuPage, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Kankakee, Kendall and Will counties.
Issued Feb. 4, the TRO has been a cause of concern for Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who called the judge’s decision “misguided” and has urged the state’s attorney general’s office to make an appeal.
According to a report by NBC5, while the order does not apply to Chicago Public Schools, other districts, including Arlington Heights SD 24, Burbank SD 111 and Crystal Lake Elementary District 47 recognize the ruling and are implementing mask-option or “mask-recommended’ policies. Other districts, such as Elgin Area SD U46 have opted to keep their universal masking policies in place.
Parents and teachers from more than 150 school districts across Illinois were involved in the lawsuit, which challenged Pritzker’s mandate requiring masks inside all school buildings, ABC 7 Chicago reports.
Attorney Thomas DeVore represented more than 700 parents involved in the lawsuit, according to NBC5. The lawsuit alleged that Pritzker’s mask mandate did not follow due process.
