Immanuel Schools sanctioned $50,000 for opening schools against court order

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno County judge has sanctioned Immanuel Schools $50,000 for their "willful violation" of a court order forbidding its students from returning for in-person learning.

On Tuesday, Judge D. Tyler Tharpe said Immanuel Schools admitted to the conditions of contempt of court - violating the order without good cause or substantial justification.

He called their willful violation of the court order "despicable" and "worthy of punishment."

RELATED: Immanuel Schools and Fresno County agree to resolve court battle over opening violations

The judge said he would suspend most of the sanctions if the school district sticks to the terms of its agreement with Fresno County - including a stricter masking policy, social distancing enforcement, and surveillance testing of adult staff members.

This is a developing breaking news story. Stay with us for updates.

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