Gov. Youngkin issues executive orders to end school mask mandate; investigate 'wrongdoing' in Loudoun

Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued 11 executive orders just after taking office at noon Saturday, including an end to the mask mandate in Virginia schools.

The order "delivers on his Day One promise to empower Virginia parents in their children’s education and upbringing by allowing parents to make decisions on whether their child wears a mask in school," Youngkin's office said in a news release. 

It’s unclear if Youngkin will try to force divisions to allow unmasked students based on parental choice. Prince William County Schools, for instance, have said they’ll wait and see what comes from Richmond before making any announcements.

Youngkin has also issued an order to "investigate wrong-doing in Loudoun County," presumably referring to a series high-profile criminal cases involving students and staff.

The school division gained national attention last year following  the arrest of a 14-year-old Loudoun County high school student charged with two counts of sexually assaulting a schoolmate in a bathroom. That case sparked outrage among parents after the teen was moved to a new school and charged in a second sexual assault case -- while wearing an ankle monitor. The teen was recently sentenced in juvenile court. The victim in the case is the daughter of a man arrested for disorderly conduct at school board meeting earlier in the year.

Another executive order, and first on Youngkin's list, is a promise to end the "use of divisive concepts, including Critical Race Theory, in public education," the release said. CRT has become a hot-button political issue and a battle cry for Republicans, but local and state school officials in Virginia have said the theory is not being taught in public schools.

Youngkin's other day one executive orders include:

• A promise to restore integrity and confidence in the Parole Board of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• A promise to make government work for Virginians by creating the Commonwealth Chief Transformation Officer.
• A promise to declare Virginia open for business.
• A promise to combat and prevent human trafficking and provide support to survivors.
• A promise to establish a commission to combat antisemitism.
• A promise to withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

Youngkin also issued two executive directives, including a plan to "to jumpstart our economy by cutting job killing regulations by 25 percent" and a directive to rescind the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all state employees.