COLDWATER, MI – A Branch County judge has issued a restraining order to release football players from quarantine.

The ruling is in favor of three Coldwater High School football players, and the Michigan advocacy group Let Them Play Michigan is claiming it as their first victory of the new school year over county health department quarantine rules. The case was filed against the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency, Health Officer Rebecca Burns, Coldwater Community Schools, and Coldwater Superintendent Terry Whelan.

The filings claim football players Cameron Torres, Donte Work, and Kevin Hall “were not provided the fundamental rights of Due Process for an ordered quarantine.” The lawsuit asked for a temporary restraining order to allow the students to attend school and participate in sports activities, which would included last Friday’s varsity football game at Marshall High School.

Branch County Circuit Judge William O’Grady issued the temporary restraining late Thursday afternoon.

A further hearing on the petition for a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Friday afternoon, October 1st, at 1:30 p.m.