Posted on 08/23/2020 6:35:42 PM PDT by marshmallow
Last-minute county order leaves parents less than 60 hours to make home-based arrangements; appeal planned to Wisconsin Supreme Court.
MADISON, Wisconsin — A coalition of Catholic schools, parents and benefactors plan to hire a law firm to challenge an order issued late Friday to close all schools in Dane County to in-person instruction for students in grades 3-12. Many Catholic schools were slated to open starting August 24 after being closed much of last spring due to COVID-19.
Led by the Madison-based St. Ambrose Academy, the coalition launched a GiveSendGo crowdfunding site on August 22 that quickly raised more than $22,300 out of an initial goal of $60,000. The plan is for Catholic schools to hire Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP, a law firm that earlier this year helped the Diocese of Madison defeat attempts to place strict limits on Mass attendance due to COVID-19. They hope to make an emergency appeal directly to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Meanwhile, parishes have organized a Rosary rally for 3 p.m. Monday on the State Street steps of the Wisconsin Capitol Building, where last week 2,000 Catholics gathered for a Eucharistic procession and patriotic Rosary.
Catholic school officials said they had no advance warning that Public Health Madison & Dane County would issue a COVID-19 school closing order. The health agency issued Emergency Order #9 after 5:00 p.m. CDT on Friday, August 21, sending Catholic schools and parents into confusion and anger just 60 hours before opening of the 2020-21 school year in many communities. Janel Heinrich, public health officer for Madison and Dane County; and Joe Parisi, Dane County executive, could not be reached Saturday evening for comment.
“We are extraordinarily disappointed at this order and its timing,” Bishop Donald J. Hying said in a letter to parents issued jointly with.......
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicworldreport.com ...
Dear Bishop Donald J. Hying,
Follow the lead of the Gym Owners and turn every school into a Republican Party Campaign office.
It’s about time they started challenging these orders.
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