Judge rules that Gov. Beshear’s guidelines halting in-person instruction at religious school violates First Amendment

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In a ruling Wednesday night, a federal judge said that Gov. Andy Beshear cannot halt in-person instruction at religious schools in order to help curb the COVID-19 pandemic,.

U.S. District Court Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove granted a preliminary injunction preventing the governor from enforcing his guidelines that would stop in-person instruction in private, religious schools after Thanksgiving.

The official ruling states that “…The Governor is enjoined from enforcing the prohibition on in-person instruction with respect to any religious private school in Kentucky that adheres to applicable social distancing and hygiene guidelines.”

Judge Van Tatenhove also said the schools were “likely to succeed on the merits of the case.”

Attorney General Daniel Cameron joined the lawsuit brought by Danville Christian Academy and several other religious schools on Friday.