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Florida state Representative Anthony Sabatini and the Reverend Joel Tillis filed a lawsuit Monday against Manatee County in response to its recently passed emergency face mask mandate.
Tillis, the pastor at Palmetto's Suncoast Baptist Church, is listed as the plaintiff in the lawsuit. Sabatini, an attorney, is representing his case. The Republican lawmaker confirmed the suit was filed with the Circuit Court clerk during an anti-mask rally held outside the Manatee County Courthouse on Monday morning.
The rally, titled "Unmasking Liberty" in its event description on Facebook, drew protesters to the courthouse, who backed Tillis and Sabatini's allegation that a mask mandate impedes religious freedom. The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief and bases its claims on allegations that face mask requirements violate privacy and due process statutes in Florida's constitution.
Tillis and Sabatini both largely focused on the mandate's impact on religious proceedings during Monday's gathering.
"This mask resolution effectively interferes with our ability to worship," Tillis reportedly said during the rally, according to local news outlets. "We cannot do our job as ministry under this resolution."
Sabatini has helped file more than a dozen similar lawsuits against county mask mandates instituted across Florida throughout the coronavirus pandemic, which is hitting the state particularly hard this summer. In June, Sabatini issued a letter to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis that urged him to prohibit local authorities from enforcing county mask mandates through an executive order. DeSantis' reluctance to impose statewide face mask requirements, despite soaring virus cases, continues to prompt widespread criticism.
On Monday, Sabatini called county commissioners' face mask mandate "silly" and suggested it was unconstitutional.
"It violates the religious freedom laws of the Florida constitution," he said. "Why can't the county commission just mind its own business and trust people to make the...personal responsibility decisions for themselves concerning their own health?"
The state representative told Newsweek on Tuesday that he believes people should wear masks under certain circumstances but should not face penalties if they decide not to do so.
"People should pay attention to the signs," Sabatini said, noting that he is "totally fine" with local leaders encouraging or incentivizing public mask use. "I just don't believe they need to pass a mandate."
Manatee County commissioners issued their emergency order last week, after new virus diagnoses surged throughout June and July. Data published by the county's health department showed close to 8,900 cases and 187 deaths were confirmed as of Tuesday morning. Florida's statewide coronavirus numbers have skyrocketed since the beginning of June, approaching 500,000 cases by Tuesday.
"As with all lawsuits against county government, the plaintiff can expect an aggressive defense from the office of the county attorney," said Manatee County Attorney Mitchell Palmer in a statement sent to Newsweek on Tuesday.
Newsweek reached out to Suncoast Baptist Church for comments but did not receive a reply in time for publication.
This story was updated to include Anthony Sabatini's comments.
