A judge temporarily blocked Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's order to make masks in schools optional

• Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed an order last month that would essentially ban mask mandates.
• Seven school districts sued over the order on January 24.

A Circuit Court judge granted seven school districts their request to have GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin's mask-optional mandate be temporarily barred, several outlets reported.

On January 15, Youngkin signed an executive order that would allow parents to opt-out of compulsory mask rules for their kids in school. The order went into effect on January 24.

"There is no greater priority than the health and welfare of Virginia's children. Under Virginia law, parents, not the government, have the fundamental right to make decisions concerning the care of their children," the order said.

Several school districts criticized the measure, including Arlington Public Schools, where White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has a child enrolled.

Psaki spoke out in defense of the school's stance: "Thank you to @APSVirginia for standing up for our kids, teachers and administrators and their safety in the midst of a transmissible variant," Psaki said in a tweet last month.

On January 24, Alexandria City, Arlington County, Richmond City, Fairfax County, Falls Church City, Hampton City, and Prince William County filed a lawsuit with the Circuit Court for the County of Arlington, CNN reported. The Washington Post reported that on Friday, Arlington Circuit Court Judge Louise DiMatteo ruled in their favor.

DiMatteo said the state' constitution gives local school boards the authority to make decisions about health and safety for students, which also includes mask-wearing, the Post reported.

The judge added that a state law passed this past summer requires schools to comply with federal health guidance, which recommends mask-wearing in indoor places. That would make Youngkin's order hard to carry out, the Post reported.

"The order allows schools to continue to protect the health and well-being of all students and staff. While the legal process on this matter continues, today's ruling preserves the existing policies and practices in Virginia school divisions, which include masking requirements," the school boards said in a joint statement.

The temporary restraining order allows the seven districts that sued to mandate masking and will remain in place until the district's lawsuit is complete.

An attorney for the school boards did not respond to Insider's request for comment at the time of publication.

Gov. Youngkin's office also did not respond to Insider's request for comment but in a statement on Friday spokesperson Macaulay Porter said: "The governor will never stop fighting for parents' ability to choose what is best for their children. The gov often said that this is not a pro-mask or anti-mask debate. It's about parents knowing what's best for their child's health, & opting-out should there be a mask mandate."