Florida teachers are pushing back against the Governor’s decision to reopen schools.

The Florida Education Association has filed a formal lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for attempting to force public schools to reopen in full for the fall semester. DeSantis is accused of violating state constitutional mandates that all public schools should be “safe and secure,” which the FEA argues cannot occur while the pandemic is still surging through the country and especially in Florida.

FEA President Fedrick Ingram appeared on NBC’s “TODAY” to decry DeSantis for his push, saying that forcing students back to school is not safe, and that “we don’t want to be the petri dish for America.”

“Any sensible person would tell you we have got to get the positivity rate down,” Ingram said.

“This is a life or death situation,” he continued. “We don’t want to be reckless; we don’t want to be irresponsible.”

Currently, over 23,000 children in Florida have tested positive for COVID-19, showing that while older adults are the most at risk, children are not completely safe either.

Ingram expressed remorse on “TODAY,” saying that his numerous associates in teaching, who would normally be excited for a new school year, have been considering switching careers or outright retiring when faced with being forced to return to the classroom.

“Our schools were built for social interaction, not social distancing,” Ingram said.

Earlier in the month, Florida’s education commissioner, Richard Corcoran, issued an emergency order for all Florida public schools to reopen in full for the typical five day weeks once the fall semester starts, pending guidance from public health officials. The FEA is hoping that their case against DeSantis can convince state court to halt the reopening order.

Governor DeSantis’ office has not publicly commented on the matter.