FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. -Seven Virginia school boards have sued in an effort to block Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order lifting mask mandates for children in public schools.

The lawsuit says Gov. Youngkin’s (R) order violates a provision of the state constitution, which places oversight of schools under the direction of school boards.

The school boards, led by Fairfax County Public Schools, whose 180,000 students make it Virginia’s biggest system, filed suit Monday morning in Arlington Circuit Court.

The suit asks for an immediate injunction barring enforcement of Youngkin’s order, which sought to leave masking decisions to parents, contravening federal health guidance and the masking mandates that the vast majority of Virginia school districts have maintained throughout the pandemic.

Starting Monday, Jan. 24, parents in Pittsylvania County have the option of deciding whether they want their children to wear masks in school. That’s according to Superintendent Mark Jones. Masks will still be required when students are on school buses in Pittsylvania County. Jones said the requirement that staff wear masks remains in effect.

Danville’s School Board had been set to reexamine the city’s mask policy at Thursday night’s meeting, however, that meeting was canceled due to the threat of inclement weather. Classes were canceled or virtual last week due to the snowstorm but Danville students return to the classroom Monday on a one-hour delay.