Judge Pauses Youngkin's School Mask Order And More Va. Headlines

A Staff Report, Virginia Mercury

February 7, 2022

• “A judge on Friday temporarily halted Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order that sought to allow parents to opt out of classroom mask mandates for their children but had been met with resistance from some school districts.”—Associated Press

• The judge who issued the mask ruling, Louise DiMatteo, is married to an Arlington teacher — a fact that has drawn allegations of a conflict of interest in conservative news outlets and on social media. But DiMatteo had voluntarily disclosed the relationship before taking the case and lawyers on both sides of the case said they did not believe she should have recused herself.—Washington Post

• “Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s campaign lashed out at a high school student as well as Democrat Ralph Northam on Twitter this weekend, tweeting out the teen’s name and photo after the boy shared a news story about part of the Executive Mansion where enslaved workers once lived.”—Washington Post

• The archeologist and historian who was helping develop a tour that told the story of enslaved workers at the Executive Mansion says she has resigned. Youngkin’s administration denied her allegation that they converted a room used in the tour, a historic kitchen, into a family room.—VPM

• Much of Youngkin’s legislative agenda has already been blocked by Democrats in the state Senate.—Richmond Times-Dispatch

• Youngkin declined to discuss what kinds of information his education “tip line” has yielded for his administration, arguing the communications are confidential. “It’s just like if you wrote me a letter, I wouldn’t disclose that letter.”—WRIC

• “Virginia Military Institute will make changes to its student-run honor court to make the system fairer to cadets accused of lying, cheating, stealing or other transgressions that can lead to expulsion.”—Washington Post

• Youngkin named Dr. Danny Avula commissioner of the state’s Department of Social Services. The Richmond and Henrico County health department director served under Northam as the state’s vaccine czar.—Virginia Business

• “Four Loudoun County supervisors on Thursday walked out of a ceremony for representative[s] from local governments after the Virginia deputy attorney general made what they called ‘inappropriate’ comments claiming the school division ‘covered up’ a pair of widely-reported sexual assault cases that occurred in Loudoun schools.”—Loudoun Times-Mirror

• After the death of a homeless man who had no serious criminal history, Arlington County’s sheriff accused local authorities of “dumping these people in jail when they need serious care.” The sheriff said 170 of 280 people currently jailed suffer from mental illness.—WTOP

• The Richmond City Democratic Committee voted to censure Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond, over remarks he made threatening the president of the Petersburg NAACP. Morrissey dismissed the reprimand. “They’re a bunch of young, white, entitled, wannabe-wokes who took a break tonight from spray painting people’s homes, setting fire to the city, and smashing windows, in order to censure me for simply defending the honor of my wife,” Morrissey said.—Virginia Scope

This story was originally published by the Virginia Mercury. For more stories from the Virginia Mercury, visit Virginia Mercury.com.