American states that ban face coverings in schools may be discriminating against students with disabilities, U.S. Department of Education officials say. The Department of Education Office for Civil Rights has opened investigations into five states that ban face coverings, or masks. The states are Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah. Suzanne Goldberg is the department’s assistant secretary for civil rights. She informed the states of the investigation, saying that they could be in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act, or ADA. The 1990 law bans discrimination against people with disabilities and requires that children with disabilities receive a fair education. Goldberg said in a letter that the “investigation will focus on whether … students with disabilities who are at heightened risk for severe illness from COVID-19 are prevented from safely returning to in-person education, in violation of Federal law.” The administration of President Joe Biden has said it would fight back against efforts by Republican state lawmakers to prevent mask mandates in schools. Those against the requirements say it is a matter of personal freedom. They argue that it should be up to parents and individuals to decide. In the state of Tennessee, Republican Governor Bill Lee signed an executive order on August 16 letting parents “opt out” of any requirement that children wear masks in school. Two legal actions have since been filed against the order including one saying that it violates the ADA. Four other states, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida and Texas, have also passed laws or signed executive orders banning mask mandates in schools. But the states are not currently under investigation because court orders have blocked the bans.