A Texas judge has issued a temporary injunction blocking Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates in an order that affects 19 school districts in the state.
Travis County Judge Catherine Mauzy’s order, issued Friday, found that the school districts that sued to block the ban made “a sufficient showing” that Abbott’s action is “unlawful … violates the Texas Constitution and would cause irreparable harm.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has reportedly already appealed the ruling.
The districts that sued to block Abbott’s ban include the schools of Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth and Houston.
“Absent this order, the school districts and community college district will be unable to adopt a face-covering requirement to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus, which threatens to overwhelm public schools and could result in more extreme measures such as school closures that have already begun in several Texas school districts,” Mauzy wrote in her ruling.
However, the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court on Thursday temporarily blocked a mask mandate in San Antonio schools.
More Texas students tested positive for COVID-19 the week ending Aug. 22 — 14,033 students — than at any time during the entire last school year.
In Florida, a judge ruled Friday that Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis overstepped his authority by issuing an executive order banning mask mandates in schools.
Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper agreed with parents who argued in a lawsuit that DeSantis’ order is unconstitutional and can’t legally be enforced.
