Caitlyn, 16, was denied being able to take her driver's license exam for her refusal to wear a mask. | Provided Photo
Caitlyn, 16, was denied being able to take her driver's license exam for her refusal to wear a mask. | Provided Photo
Illinois State Rep. Jed Davis has taken an interest in the case of a young Illinois student who refused to wear a facemask and was denied being able to take the roadway test that would allow her to receive her driver’s license.
According to a press release, 16-year-old Caitlyn was not able to take her driver's license exam. The reason, which was posted in the notes of her test papers, said the failure was due to her refusal to wear a facemask or shield during the test. Davis said he was unable to receive the written policy from the secretary of state’s office by request and was told that the policy is an internal one. Davis commended Caitlyn and said he will be sending a letter to the secretary of state on her behalf, asking them to drop this internal policy, and will be asking his colleagues to follow suit.
“We’re no longer in the midst of a pandemic," Davis said, according to the press release. "Our own state, one of the most progressive with restrictions, dropped these requirements well over a year ago. Did our secretary of state miss the memo? I commend Caitlyn; what courage to stand against government, advocating for her rights. She’s amazing!”
According to the CDC’s website, Kendall County did not appear to be in a high transmission level in January, when Caitlyn was denied. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has not commented on the subject, and there have been no updates on whether or not Caitlyn was able to take her test and receive her license.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker removed the mask mandate from the state as early as Feb. 28, 2022, when indoor masking was reduced to federal requirements pertaining to public transportation, as well as the policies in place for private businesses, property, tribal areas or local mandates. The state also lifted mask mandates for public transportation later, on April 19, 2022, which was in line with the recent federal lifting of those requirements.
A press release from April 2022 reminded residents that "municipalities retain the right to establish their own mitigations, including masking requirements on public transportation.” There is no notice on the secretary of state’s website or informational page about the road test that denotes this requirement.
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