Dance studio cited for its ‘Nutcracker’ performance joins lawsuit against public health department

An Oregon dance studio that final week drew a 119-count criticism from the joint Madison and Dane County public health department for alleged COVID-19 health order violations is suing the department, becoming a member of a lawsuit that challenges Dane County’s indoor gathering limits.

A Leap Above Dance, which faces practically $24,000 in fines for alleged violations of an emergency order issued by Public Health Madison and Dane County, on Tuesday turned a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed final month on behalf of two native dad and mom who’ve kids concerned in sports activities groups.

The lawsuit, filed on Jan. 20 by the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, challenges the health department’s authority to problem emergency orders to curb the unfold of COVID-19 with out approval from the Dane County Board. It additionally questions limits positioned on sports activities within the newest emergency order, No. 12, issued on Jan. 12.

The lawsuit was initially filed immediately with the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which in December determined 4-3 against taking the case and advised plaintiffs to start out in circuit court docket.

The criticism filed by the health department against the dance studio alleges that 119 folks took half in a manufacturing of the Nutcracker on Dec. 13, a violation of Emergency Order No. 10, issued on Nov. 17. It prohibited in-person faculty for all however college students in kindergarten by means of second grade and college students with disabilities. It additionally banned mass gatherings of any dimension, defining a mass gathering as “a planned event with a large number of individuals in attendance, such as a concert, festival, meeting, training, conference, performance, show or sporting event.”