GRAND RAPIDS, MI (WTVB) – No settlement has been reached as of Monday in a civil rights lawsuit filed against the Community Health Agency and Reading Community Schools by the Hillsdale County chapter of Moms for Liberty.
That’s indicated on line in the minutes of a scheduled settlement conference that was held on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan.
The next court hearing has not been scheduled. The defendants had until February 7 to file a reply.
Jennifer Wortz and Stacy Wohlheter sued the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Health Agency, Health Officer Rebecca Burns and Reading Community Schools on November 10 over September COVID-19 quarantine orders issued by Burns.
Burns rescinded a quarantine order on September 30 after the budget signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer included Senate Bill 68 that would take funding away from local health departments that issue an emergency COVID-19 order. The Community Health Agency said they faced a loss of approximately $1 million in state budget funding.
Governor Whitmer said SB 68 was “unconstitutional.” But legal counsel for the Community Health Agency said the order stands until ruled otherwise in a court of law.
The suit filed by Wortz and Wohlheter says their minor children were denied a chance for in person learning and were quarantined for 11 days in September after they were identified as close contacts.
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