Montgomery County rescinds ban on private schools reopening this fall

Possibly averting a court battle, Maryland’s largest county on Friday backed off a controversial ban on in-person instruction at private schools.

Montgomery County Health Officer Travis Gayles rescinded both of his orders calling for online-only teaching, saying the state’s latest effort to thwart the ban gave him no option, despite his standing concerns about the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Gayles “continues to strongly advise schools against in-person learning due to the risks posed by COVID-19,” the county said in a statement, adding that the health officer has asked the state to provide criteria for governments to determine on a case-by-case basis when private schools can safely operate.

The announcement appears to resolve, for now, a protracted battle between Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and one of the state’s most liberal jurisdictions — a fight that sparked a week of brinkmanship and a federal lawsuit by parents challenging the closures that is scheduled for a hearing next week...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/hogan-montgomery-private--schools-/2020/08/07/e2c6bdb2-d7fe-11ea-9c3b-dfc394c03988_story.html