CCSD: Parents who sued over mask mandate owe $57.5K in legal fees

The Clark County School District is seeking nearly $58,000 in attorney fees from two local parents after a federal lawsuit challenging its face mask mandate was dismissed.

A U.S. District Court judge last month dismissed the lawsuit by filed in August by parents Monica Branch-Noto and Tiffany Paulson on behalf of their children.

The lawsuit, which named the school district, Gov. Steve Sisolak and Attorney General Aaron Ford as defendants, claimed that the district’s face mask mandate intended to combat COVID-19 violated their constitutional rights.

On the same day the case was dismissed, plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal, according to online court records.

In a 14-page motion for attorney fees submitted to the court on Wednesday, the school district said the case “should have never been filed” and urged the court to award it $57,503 to cover its legal expenses.

“CCSD was forced to expend valuable resources to defend longstanding case law and precedent that support its ability to implement school policies to protect the students (it) serves,” it said in court documents.

The district alleged plaintiffs knew their action was “unsupported by longstanding legal precedent” and that claims were “frivolous.”

The school district did not respond to a request for comment by deadline Friday.

Plaintiffs are represented by attorneys Sigal Chattah, a Republican candidate for attorney general, and Joey Gilbert, who’s seeking the Republican nomination for governor. Both have filed other lawsuits fighting COVID-19-related mandates.

Neither could be reached for comment on Friday.

Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton on Twitter.