In a seesaw battle over mask requirements in Texas Schools, a federal appeals court has reinstated Gov. Greg Abbott’s authority to prohibit mask mandates. The November 24 ruling by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a federal district court judge’s order on November 12, invalidating the governor’s executive order on masks.
The appeals court decision does not resolve the lawsuit in question by Disability Rights Texas, which contends that Abbott’s ban on schools enacting mask mandates violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and can not be enforced. That lawsuit will continue, along with several other legal actions by the Texas attorney general and school districts. In practical terms, the decision will have no impact on most school districts, which already have decided on mask requirements while the legal chaos continues.