PUT IT BACK ON

Judge Rules Texas Can’t Ban Mask Mandates From Schools

The federal judge said Gov. Greg Abbott’s blanket prohibition on mandates violated the Americans With Disabilities Act.

A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott cannot prohibit schools from requiring students to wear face masks. Judge Lee Yeakel wrote in the order blocking the Texas attorney general from enforcing the ban, “The spread of COVID-19 poses an even greater risk for children with special health needs.” Yeakel ruled that disallowing face mask mandates violated the Americans With Disabilities Act by making it more difficult for disabled or immunocompromised students to access the public benefits of schools. The decisions on face masks will now be left to local officials, though the state may appeal the decision. A disability rights advocacy group, Disability Rights Texas, filed the lawsuit in August.