Illinois Makes Attacking Employees For Enforcing Mask Policies A Felony

Illinois last week passed a law further penalizing the assault of workers for enforcing their employer’s public health policies, like wearing a mask or social distancing. Under this law, these attacks can be charged as aggravated battery, a felony offense in the state.

“Illinois has made substantial progress in our fight against COVID-19 because the vast majority of communities and business owners have done the right thing,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement. “These rules will help ensure that the minority of people who refuse to act responsibly won’t take our state backward.”

Pritzker issued an order in May requiring all Illinois residents to wear a mask whenever they left their homes. Since then, the state has seen the occasional violent outburst against workers enforcing such policies, as have states all over the U.S.

In May, a customer at a Los Angeles Target got into an argument with an employee over the store’s mask policy which eventually led to him breaking the worker’s arm. Earlier in August, a New Jersey woman attacked a Staples employee after a similar altercation and a Pennsylvania man shot a cigar shop worker that asked him to wear a mask.

“We know that face coverings are key to helping prevent the spread of COVID-19, but it

only works if everyone wears them,” Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said. “We are seeing cases increasing each day and hearing about people not complying with the masking mandate. This rule is an effort to help keep all of us healthy and decrease the risk of contracting COVID-19.”

In addition to this law, Illinois also passed a number of penalties for businesses that don’t follow state mask mandates. These penalties will be applied to repeat offenders and will vary from $75 to $2,500 fines.