Kankakee Times

Michael Boyle, superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Joliet is facing criticism for his decision to cancel all Diocese of Joliet basketball games scheduled over the weekend, following the issuance of a temporary restraining order on the state’s mask mandates. 

In a Facebook post Feb. 5, radio talk show host Don Proft said Catholic school parents in the Joliet diocese should be demanding Boyle’s resignation, citing his cancelation of the games as a punishment to the children of the district.

“What would happen if Catholic parents were left to their own devices on mask wearing at their kids’ basketball game? The horror. It’s too nightmarish of a scenario to imagine. Better to err on the side of punishing kids,” Profit wrote in his post. 

With the temporary restraining order issued just ahead of the weekend’s games, Boyle said he would not have had necessary guidance completed and distributed in time to guide expectations during the events. 

Among the criticism of Boyle’s decision, former Illinois legislator Jeanne Ives expressed disappointment in the superintendent, stating she was praying for a change of heart. 

Government officials, including Gov J.B. Pritzker, have voiced concerns over the temporary restraining order. 

In a recent report by NBC5, Pritzker called the judge’s decision “misguided,” urging the state’s Attorney General’s Office to issue an appeal. Parents and teachers from more than 150 school districts across Illinois were involved in the lawsuit, which challenged Pritzker’s mandate requiring masks inside all school buildings, ABC7  reports. 

NBC5 reports attorney Thomas DeVore represented more than 700 parents involved in the lawsuit which alleged Pritzker’s mask mandate did not follow due process. 

According to the report, while the order does not apply to Chicago Public Schools, some districts, including Arlington Heights SD 24, Burbank SD 111 and Crystal Lake Elementary District 47 recognize the ruling and are implementing mask-option or “mask-recommended' policies. Other districts, such as Elgin Area SD U46 have since opted to keep their universal masking policies in place. 

The Diocese of Joliet includes DuPage, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Kankakee, Kendall and Will counties.