Q: My county has religious freedom exemptions from mask mandates. Is it a civil rights violation to refuse service?
In my county, there is a religious freedom exemption from county wide mask mandates. After plainly stating my religious exemption from the mask mandate, would this qualify as a title II civil rights act violation for denial of service, when I have not violated any laws, and am being denied access to public accommodation, ie purchasing groceries or eating at a restaurant.
A:
If you're talking about Miami-Dade County, it apparently has no general religious exemption to the mask mandate. There is an exemption for being at or inside a religious institution, but not a religious exemption for other locations. See - https://www.miamidade.gov/global/initiatives/coronavirus/emergency-orders/emergency-order-20-20-amendment-2.page
There is some misinformation on social media regarding exemptions to the mask mandate. A US Dept. of Justice site provides a warning about one of those social media messages going around - https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-warns-inaccurate-flyers-and-postings-regarding-use-face-masks-and
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