The owner of a Liberty Tax Service location banned the use of masks by customers and employees at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite a statewide mask mandate, and ultimately was hit with more than $100,000 in fines. Now, Massachusetts’ highest state court has dismissed the business owner’s challenge to the mask mandate as moot.

Ariana Murrell is the owner and operator of a Liberty Tax Service location in Lynn, Massachusetts. When the governor issued a statewide mask mandate, she initially adhered to the rule in her place of business. However, Murrell became convinced that masks themselves were a health risk and decided to implement a no-mask policy at her business. According to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s May 2 opinion, the policy banned both customers and staff members from wearing masks while on the premises.

This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.

To view this content, please continue to their sites.

Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Why am I seeing this?

LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.

For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]