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Parent sues Wisconsin school district after child contracts Covid

Shannon Jensen is seeking an injunction ordering the Waukesha School District to comply with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Covid guidelines.
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/ Source: The Associated Press

WAUKESHA, Wis. — A parent has sued a southeastern Wisconsin school district after her son contracted Covid-19 from a classmate.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Shannon Jensen filed the lawsuit in federal court against the Waukesha School District and school board on Oct. 5. Jensen is seeking an injunction ordering the district to comply with U.S. Centers for Disease Control Covid-19 guidelines.

According to the lawsuit, the board in May removed a student mask requirement and other Covid-19 mitigation measures. One of Jensen’s son’s classmates allegedly came to school with symptoms in September and didn’t wear a mask. Jensen’s son was seated next to the sick student and was wearing a mask but still became infected. Jensen’s other two sons later tested positive as well.

In an email to the Journal Sentinel, Waukesha School District Superintendent James Sebert declined to discuss the lawsuit.

"We have been in contact with our attorneys and on the advice of our counsel, we have been advised not to comment further at this time," he said.

Joseph Como, the school board president, said in an email to the newspaper that he could not comment on the lawsuit per the district's legal counsel.

The Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC is funding the lawsuit. The brewing company is owned by Kirk Bangstad, who has aired his frustrations about how former President Donald Trump’s administration responded to the pandemic. He ran unsuccessfully against incumbent Republican state Rep. Rob Swearingen last year.