Ex-school official who refused mask sues for reinstatement

MINDEN, Neb. (AP) — A former school board member who was removed from office after she refused to wear a mask to meetings in central Nebraska has filed a lawsuit seeking to be reinstated.

The Kearney Hub reports that Katie Sinsel filed her lawsuit last month against the Minden school district’s superintendent and the board members who voted to remove her from the board. She argues that she shouldn’t have been prevented from participating in board meetings and the board lacked the authority to remove her.

District officials didn’t immediately reply Monday to a message about the lawsuit, and they haven’t yet responded to the lawsuit in court. Minden is a town of about 3,000 people roughly 175 miles (281.64 kilometers) west of Omaha.

Last April, Sinsel was arrested for trespassing and disturbing the peace after she refused to wear a mask at a board meeting, but those charges were later dismissed. The board voted in late April to remove Sinsel and then voted in May to appoint her replacement.

At the time Sinsel was removed from the board, the district said she had violated her oath of office by refusing to wear a mask because the board had passed a resolution requiring them.