Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging County Mask Ban In New York

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — A judge on Wednesday dismissed a federal lawsuit challenging a suburban New York ban on wearing masks in public except for health and religious reasons.

The class action lawsuit was filed last month by Disability Rights New York on behalf of two individuals with disabilities against Nassau County’s Mask Transparency Act, or MTA. The law makes it a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for anyone in the county to wear a face covering to hide their identity in public.

The lawsuit claims the ban is unconstitutional and discriminates against people with disabilities. The legal action includes two plaintiffs with various health conditions who wear medical-grade face masks to protect themselves. They said they were fearful of being harassed and possibly arrested because of the new mandate.

But U.S. District Judge Joan Azrack ruled that the plaintiffs failed to show they have legal standing to sue since the law since has exemptions for people who wear masks for health reasons.

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