DeSantis admits defeat in threats to cut pay of school leaders who impose mask mandates

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has finally backed down on his threats to punish anyone who implements a mask mandate in schools or communities, the Miami Herald reported Thursday.

DeSantis had claimed that he would cut the salaries of superintendents and funding to community schools that mandate students wear masks. Currently, Florida is suffering a massive increase in COVID-19 cases and most parents are desperate to protect their children. His hardened and Trump-like approach to the COVID crisis led his poll numbers to sink and turned his state against him as hospitals climb to capacity.

According to DeSantis, the penalties against the superintendents will be on the "honor system." He said that it will be "on them" to cut their own pay.

"Those officials should own their decision — and that means owning the consequences of their decisions rather than demanding students, teachers, and school staff to foot the bill for their potential grandstanding," DeSantis' press secretary Christina Pushaw, told he Miami Herald.

"Neither the Florida Department of Education nor the Board of Education control the payroll distribution of school districts," Superintendent Carlee Simon and School Board Chair Leanetta McNealy said in a letter from Alachua County Public Schools. "Your action would, however, remove funding from our district's general fund and would be a reduction of allocation."

Read the full report.