Current:Home > InvestFederal lawsuit challenging mask ban in suburban New York county dismissed-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Federal lawsuit challenging mask ban in suburban New York county dismissed
View Date:2024-12-23 19:40:57
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — A judge on Wednesday dismissed a federal lawsuit challenging a suburban New York ban on wearing masks in public except for health and religious reasons.
The class action lawsuit was filed last month by Disability Rights New York on behalf of two individuals with disabilities against Nassau County’s Mask Transparency Act, or MTA. The law makes it a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for anyone in the county to wear a face covering to hide their identity in public.
The lawsuit claims the ban is unconstitutional and discriminates against people with disabilities. The legal action includes two plaintiffs with various health conditions who wear medical-grade face masks to protect themselves. They said they were fearful of being harassed and possibly arrested because of the new mandate.
But U.S. District Judge Joan Azrack ruled that the plaintiffs failed to show they have legal standing to sue since the law since has exemptions for people who wear masks for health reasons.
“Plaintiffs wear masks to protect themselves from illness,” the judge wrote. “That is expressly excluded from the MTA’s reach by its health and safety exception.”
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Republican who signed the bill into law in August, said in a written statement that residents “can be grateful that the court dismissed a lawsuit that would have made Nassau County less safe.”
An email seeking comment was sent to Disability Rights New York.
veryGood! (61)
Related
- Conviction and 7-year sentence for Alex Murdaugh’s banker overturned in appeal of juror’s dismissal
- Magnitude 3.7 earthquake shakes San Francisco region, causes no damage
- Fed up with mass shootings, mayors across nation call for gun reform after 18 killed in Maine
- Russia accuses Ukraine of damaging a nuclear waste warehouse as the battle for Avdiivika grinds on
- After years of unrest, Commanders have reinvented their culture and shattered expectations
- 3 Sumatran tiger cubs have been born at a zoo in Nashville
- Jagger watches Barcelona wear Stones logo in ‘clasico’ but Beatles fan Bellingham gets Madrid winner
- Kelly dominates on mound as Diamondbacks bounce back to rout Rangers 9-1 and tie World Series 1-all
- Inter Miami's MLS playoff failure sets stage for Messi's last act, Alexi Lalas says
- Maine mass shootings updates: Note from suspected gunman; Biden posts condolences
Ranking
- Man Found Dead in Tanning Bed at Planet Fitness Gym After 3 Days
- Sailor missing at sea for 2 weeks found alive in life raft 70 miles off Washington coast
- See How Kelsea Ballerini, Chase Stokes and More Stars Are Celebrating Halloween 2023
- 49ers QB Brock Purdy cleared to start against Bengals after concussion in Week 7
- Five best fits for Alex Bregman: Will Astros homegrown star leave as free agent?
- Their sacrifice: Selfess Diamondbacks 'inch closer,' even World Series with 16-hit ambush
- Indonesian troops recover bodies of 6 workers missing after attack by Papua separatists
- These 15 Secrets About Halloweentown Are Not Vastly Overrated
Recommendation
-
Detroit-area police win appeal over liability in death of woman in custody
-
Talks on Ukraine’s peace plan open in Malta with officials from 65 countries — but not Russia
-
Keep trick-or-treating accessible for all: a few simple tips for an inclusive Halloween
-
Former Rangers owner George W. Bush throws first pitch before World Series Game 1 in Texas
-
Oil Industry Asks Trump to Repeal Major Climate Policies
-
Former Vice President Mike Pence ends campaign for the White House after struggling to gain traction
-
'Friends' star Matthew Perry dies at age 54, reports say
-
French Jewish groups set up a hotline for people in the community traumatized by Israel-Hamas war