A century after pandemic, lawsuits seek to erase the powers of state and local health departments
Updated Dec 13, 2020;
Posted Dec 13, 2020
Federal lawsuits have targeted health officials in recent months, claiming they overstepped in decisions about the coronavirus. Many suits have involved religious schools and churches, who have accused officials of violating their rights to religious freedom.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio More than a century after Americans responded to the devastating 1918 flu pandemic by empowering county and state health boards to prevent future outbreaks, lawsuits across the country threaten to erase many of those measures.
In Toledo, three parochial schools say Lucas County officials overstepped their authority in a sweeping order that forced adolescent students to take online, religious courses during the pandemic.