Texas Districts Require Masks, in Defiance of Governor

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has barred school districts from continuing to issue mask mandates, but the state's second-largest district is issuing one in defiance of his executive order. The Dallas Independent School District said Monday that students, faculty, and staff must wear face masks on campus as COVID-19 cases continue to increase in Texas, Fox News reports. The superintendent calls it an "urgent crisis," saying of Abbott, "Despite whatever authority the governor has, he is responsible for the state of Texas and I’m responsible for Dallas ISD." Austin ISD also issued a mask mandate Monday, KXAN reports.

In a statement announcing the mandate, Dallas ISD noted that school attendance is mandatory, remote schooling is not an option, children under 12 are not able to be vaccinated, and and "hospitalizations are rising at the fastest rate since the pandemic began, among all age groups, including children." Houston ISD's board of trustees meets Thursday to consider a similar mandate in the state's largest school district, ABC 13 reports. Meanwhile, a nonprofit education group is suing Abbott over the executive order, which threatens non-compliant entities with fines of up to $1,000, the Texas Tribune reports. The president of the Texas State Teachers Association is calling on the governor to rescind the order, and calling on other districts to require masks. (More Texas stories.)