Texas Supreme Court backs governor’s order against mask mandates

Gov. Greg Abbott in July prohibited government mask mandates, but school districts in Dallas and Bexar counties ordered students and teachers to wear masks this semester anyway. Some schools rescinded their rules after the court’s decision, but Dallas Independent School District said it would continue on until a court specifically ordered it to stop, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Why is this a big deal? The battle over mask mandates in Texas comes as COVID-19 cases continue to climb in the United States. In Texas, nearly 55 percent of adults are fully vaccinated against COVID. Ten states have mask mandates for students returning to school this fall, while seven other states join Texas in prohibiting them.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Dunn and Esther Eaton’s report in Schooled on the debate over face coverings for students and teachers.