Not wearing a mask during COVID-19 health emergency isn’t a free speech right, appeals court says

A federal appeals court has shot down claims that there's a First Amendment right not to wear face masks during the COVID-19 outbreak. The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling Monday in two related cases stemming from lawsuits against officials in Freehold and Cranford, New Jersey. The suits revolved around claims that school boards retaliated against the plaintiffs because they refused to wear masks during public meetings. In one of the suits, the court sent the case back to a lower court for consideration. In the other, it said the plaintiff failed to show she was retaliated against.