Nine religious schools, including Heritage Christian School in Owensboro, and more than 1,000 Kentucky parents on Sunday filed amicus briefs in support of Attorney General Daniel Cameron's and Danville Christian Academy, Inc.'s lawsuit disputing Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear's latest COVID-19 Executive Order, which directed all public and private schools in the state to cease in-person instruction as of Nov. 23.
AG Cameron on Friday filed his lawsuit in federal court against Gov. Beshear's latest order, asking the court to issue a statewide temporary restraining order against it.
According to AG Cameron, Gov. Beshear's order violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prevents the government from making laws that prevent the free exercise of religious establishments.
The amicus brief that was filed on Sunday supports AG Cameron's position, claiming that Gov. Beshear's decision to suspend in-person instruction violates parents' religious rights, also arguing that the governor's decision is "not based on science."
This isn't AG Cameron's first time challenging Gov. Beshear's COVID-19 Executive Orders. Earlier in November, Kentucky's Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of Gov. Beshear's authority to issue coronavirus-related orders, calling them "necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19."
A hearing in the case is set for 2:00 p.m. on Monday.
Below is the amicus brief filed by nine Kentucky schools. To view the amicus brief filed by more than 1,000 Kentucky parents, click here.
