On Monday, the Department of Education announced that it was opening a civil rights investigation of five states that have instituted universal mask bans in schools, noting that such policies may constitute illegal discrimination against students who have health conditions or disabilities, according to NPR:
“The U.S. Department of Education sent a warning to five states on Monday that their statewide bans on mask mandates, including in schools, could violate students’ civil rights. Suzanne B. Goldberg, the department’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights, sent letters to state education leaders in Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah, informing them that the department’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating whether their bans are discriminatory.”
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona noted in a statement:
“It’s simply unacceptable that state leaders are putting politics over the health and education of the students they took an oath to serve. The department will fight to protect every student’s right to access in-person learning safely.”
The move by the DOE angered Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who is currently under investigation for the alleged sexual trafficking of an underage girl across state lines. If found guilty, Gaetz could be sentenced to life in federal prison.
Gaetz lashed out at the Education Department on Twitter, but in doing so also managed to humiliate himself:
We should ABOLISH the Federal Department of Education. https://t.co/ywqBI0EVjs
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) August 30, 2021
That was all it took for others on Twitter to lower the boom on the Florida congressman, including reminders of what he’s accused of doing and how it seems that Republicans are always attacking anything that relates to knowledge or learning:
Is that because you want to homeschool 17-year-old girls?
— Jake Lobin (@JakeLobin) August 30, 2021
So how do we support schools… Send “tuition” to them via Venmo?
— FrankMemes (@RealFrankMemes) August 30, 2021
Just because education didn’t work for you doesn’t mean it doesn’t work.
— Knife Bomb (@TheeKnifeBomb) August 30, 2021
Gee I wonder why pic.twitter.com/4V3qCltGPe
— Nels Nelsen (@TheNels) August 30, 2021
You can’t abolish the entire department just because your girlfriend didn’t get in to AP Algebra, Matt.
— Michael McCray (@TubaLoons) August 30, 2021
Dude bro – just because you aren’t allowed to trawl the lines around high schools any longer isn’t a reason to shut the whole thing down.
— Justin Kase (@Justin_Kayse) August 30, 2021
You want to cancel the Department of Education? I thought you were against cancel culture.
— 🇵🇷 Tim Jim 🇵🇷 (@dudestir127) August 30, 2021
I don’t think you get to make any comments about schools seeing as you probably won’t be allowed within 1000ft of one.
— Our Lady of Blue (@NothingAndNowh1) August 30, 2021
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