Nikki Fried, Shevrin Jones Call DeSantis's Anti-School Mask Edict 'Unconstitutional'

Miami Gardens—During a joint press conference with State Senator Shevrin Jones (D) to address the recent anti-school mask mandate controversy, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried (D) was asked if she supported the Regeneron-made Monoclonal COVID-19 antibodies treatment.

On Thursday Commissioner Fried release a press statement that stated she “granted permission for a new COVID-19 monoclonal antibody therapy treatment site” to be opened in the Tampa area,” which prompted the Governor’s office to push back, accusing her of stalling the opening for political gain and actually gave out the wrong address of the site.

Commissioner Fried, who later said that the Regeneron therapy didn’t have FDA approval, told reporters that she is following the lead of “medical professionals” in regard to the use of the Regeneron therapy.

“I'm not a health care expert. I am following that of medical professionals, and so what we have been told from medical professionals, is that if your doctor says ‘go to the hospital and follow their advice and recommend this treatment, then that's what you're supposed to do and so hopefully this will save lives,” Fried said.

Commissioner Fried made it very clear and implored that the treatment in question did “not replace getting the vaccine,” but if the individual did get sick, “then obviously this is another alternative treatment.”

The Masks

Both Fried and Sen. Jones were then asked if those school boards that were dying Gov. Ron DeSantis’s anti-mask mandate executive order were breaking the law,

Fried stated that it was her opinion that the edict was “unconstitutional” and that she believes the courts would also find the order illegal.

“In the Constitution, it clearly dictates that the health and wellness of our children is to the school boards,” said Fried. “These are duly elected individuals in our communities.”

Sen. Jones, who isn’t known to mince his words, asserted that school board decision’s to mandate that masks are worn, “the governor knows this is not illegal.”

“This is him feeding into a base and allowing his base to be the ones to rally him up to say that this is right in their eyes when he knows well that it's not,” added Jones in regards to the anti-school mask mask mandate.

Jones also addressed the issue of the “Parent’s Bill of Rights” that was signed into law earlier this year. Republicans contend that the school mask mandates violate those parent rights as written in the law.

Jones says that in the bill of rights, nothing is written that specifically mentions mask mandates.

“Within that bill, the parental bill of rights, it had nothing to do when it comes to masks, at all.”