TEXAS, USA — Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed lawsuits against six Texas school districts for defying Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order regarding mask mandates.
For the 2021-2022 school year, several school districts across the state have defied Abbott’s mask order by implementing mask mandates. Abbott's executive order received backlash from school officials, protests from Texas parents, and even faced a lawsuit from a nonprofit education group.
School officials said the mask mandates were imposed to ensure the safety of staff and students and help slow the spread of the COVID-19 among those who cannot get vaccinated yet.
So far, lawsuits have been filed against Richardson, Round Rock, Galveston, Elgin, Spring and Sherman Independent School Districts, according to a Texas Attorney General press release.
“Not only are superintendents across Texas openly violating state law, but they are using district resources, that ought to be used for teacher merit raises or other educational benefits, to defend their unlawful political maneuvering,” Paxton said in the release.
The Office of Attorney General expects to file more lawsuits against other school districts, including some Southeast Texas districts like Beaumont ISD, and other governmental entities if they continue to defy state law.
“If districts choose to spend their money on legal fees, they must do so knowing that my office is ready and willing to litigate these cases," Paxton said. "I have full confidence that the courts will side with the law, not acts of political defiance."
Currently, there are 98 school districts listed to “have been reported as non-compliant with Executive Order GA-38,” which places Abbott in charge of the statewide response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
So far in Southeast Texas, the school districts that require masks are West Orange - Cove Consolidated ISD, Port Arthur ISD, Beaumont ISD, and the Diocese of Beaumont Catholic schools which include:
- Msgr. Kelly Catholic High School in Beaumont
- St. Anne Catholic School in Beaumont
- St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica School in Beaumont
- St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School in Port Arthur
- St. Mary Catholic School in Orange.
While lawsuits have not yet been filed against any of these Southeast Texas school districts, Beaumont and West Orange Cove ISD are listed as schools that are not in compliance and could face future lawsuits.
Related: Beaumont pediatrician urges vaccinations, mask mandates as more children test positive for COVID-19
Southeast Texas health officials encouraged mask wearing and vaccinations ahead of the fall 2021 school semester to protect the communities' youth. Health officials feared that if Texas schools did not defy Gov. Greg Abbott’s orders, COVID-19 cases would spike as the semester began.
In a previous interview with 12News, Dr. Ramona Ataya-Dakour said her two main concerns were the lack of space in pediatric hospital units and kids returning to school without masks.
Health officials said that with a few exceptions, most of the children who contracted the virus have shown mild symptoms. However, children with severe symptoms are usually sent to Houston, due to lack of pediatric ICU capacity in Southeast Texas hospitals.
From a Texas Attorney General release:
Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the filing today of six lawsuits against six school districts defying Governor Abbott’s Executive Order GA-38 regarding mask mandates: Richardson, Round Rock, Galveston, Elgin, Spring and Sherman Independent School Districts. In the 2021-2022 school year, several school districts across the state have refused to follow state law — the Texas Disaster Act and Executive Order GA-38 – which place the Governor in charge of the statewide response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Office of the Attorney General anticipates the filing of additional lawsuits if school districts and other governmental entities continue to defy state law.
“Not only are superintendents across Texas openly violating state law, but they are using district resources—that ought to be used for teacher merit raises or other educational benefits—to defend their unlawful political maneuvering,” Attorney General Ken Paxton said. “If districts choose to spend their money on legal fees, they must do so knowing that my office is ready and willing to litigate these cases. I have full confidence that the courts will side with the law – not acts of political defiance.”
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