Turlock Unified School District Calendar

Turlock Unified school board unanimously voted to sue anti-mask board member

Six of seven Turlock Unified school board members voted to sue their colleague, board member Jeffrey Cortinas, in January over his refusal to wear a mask at board meetings or attend them remotely, the Modesto Bee reported Tuesday.

Though news of the lawsuit broke earlier in the year, Turlock Unified officials refused to respond to the Bee’s questions about when and how the school board decided to pursue the lawsuit. The Bee filed a Public Records Act request and learned the other board members authorized the district to file a lawsuit during a closed-session special board meeting on Jan. 12, but never mentioned it in a public agenda or reported the action — which is required under California public meeting law.

Cortinas wasn’t present at the Jan. 12 closed session meeting, the Bee reported, but he did show up for the public meeting that followed.

The district and school board dropped the lawsuit in March, the day after state officials announced California would lift its mask requirements for K-12 schools.

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