Dupage Policy Journal

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.

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 decision 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. 

This comes as Boyle said he would not have guidance completed and distributed in time to guide the expected behaviors for the weekend’s games after an Illinois judge granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) Feb. 4 that prohibits school districts across the state from mandating masks. 

Among the widespread criticism, former Illinois legislator Jeanne Ives said she is disappointed in Boyle’s decision and praying for a change of heart. However, other lawmakers have voiced concerns over the issue. 

In a recent report by NBC5, Gov. J.B. 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, ABC7Chicago reports. 

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

According to the report, while the order does not apply to Chicago Public Schools, other 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 opted to keep their universal masking policies in place. 

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