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Man 'stranded' in The Villages sues to end mask requirement on commercial flights

Photo: Associated Press
AP
FILE - In this Oct. 15, 2020, file photo, a United Airlines airplane takes off over a plane on the runway at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco. United Airlines says it will train 5,000 pilots at its own academy in this decade, and it hopes that half of them will be women or people of color. United said Tuesday, April 6, 2021, it is now taking applications for the academy in Arizona, including from people who have no flying experience. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

A Washington, D.C., man finds himself "stranded" in The Villages because he feels he can't wear a mask and the airlines won't let him fly without one.

Now Lucas Wall wants a federal judge to block the rules requiring masks.

Lucas Wall filed the 206-page lawsuit on his own behalf last week against President Biden and federal agencies along with Orlando's airport and the LYNX bus system.

Now he's suing several airlines and has a gofundme.com account for legal fees.

Wall argues the rules are unconstitutional and illegal and that -- contrary to the views of experts -- wearing a mask does more harm than good.

He says he has been in The Villages caring for his mother for several months. Both are fully vaccinated now, and he has tickets to fly again.

To do so, he has to wear a mask. But Wall says he has generalized anxiety disorder and wearing one causes him to feel like he's having a panic attack.

He also claims that "forced muzzling violates our individual liberty."

Joe Byrnes came to Central Florida Public Media from the Ocala Star-Banner and The Gainesville Sun, where he worked as a reporter and editor for several years. Joe graduated from Loyola University in New Orleans and turned to journalism after teaching. He enjoys freshwater fishing and family gatherings.