Some teachers in Broward County, Florida, are suing the school district in a bid to keep working remotely as COVID-19 cases continue to surge.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that about 1,700 teachers who are battling conditions such as cancer, kidney disease, and heart disease had been approved to work from home since October when officials reopened face-to-face learning.
But those teachers were ordered on Friday to return to the classroom this coming Monday. However, the Broward Teachers Union, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the educators, maintains the order violates an earlier agreement with the district.
The union is seeking an emergency injunction permitting those teachers to continue to work remotely.
“Broward Schools is putting these most vulnerable educators and their families in immediate danger of possible severe illness and death,” Anna Fusco, the union's president, said. “These highest-risk educators should continue doing their full-time jobs online.”
The school board declined comment on the suit.
Twenty-six percent of Broward County students have been learning in the classroom, according to the Sun Sentinel. That number could jump to 39% when the new semester starts Wednesday.
The Miami Herald noted Florida broke its record for the highest single-day number of coronavirus cases on Thursday. The state reported 19,816 new COVID-19 cases.