Appeals Court Issues Injunction Preventing Enforcement Of Fort Worth ISD Mask Mandate
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) — The Fort Worth Independent School District's mask mandate was short-lived on Monday. Shortly after the policy went into effect the 2nd Court of Appeals in Fort Worth has granted a temporary injunction to prevent enforcement of mask wearing.
The court decision said, in part, "In light of the supreme court's view of what the status quo is when there are conflicts between the Governor and the local governmental entities over face masks and the effect that not granting relief will have on upsetting the status quo, we grant the parents' Emergency Motion for Temporary Relief Pending Determination of Appeal."
All students, employees, and visitors had been required to mask up while inside district buildings.
On Monday morning a CBS 11 News crew saw masked kids filing into Oakhurst Elementary School. One youngster told the crew he doesn't love wearing his mask, but understands why he needs to.
"Whenever it's hard to breathe with the mask... it would be hard, but when the coronavirus started we all had to wear them because we have to be secure and we cannot be cruel to each other," explained student Angel Castaneda.
The FWISD school board approved the mask policy more than two weeks ago but enforcement was held up by a lawsuit from a group of parents. It is that lawsuit that has now lead to the temporary injunction.
CBS 11 News has reached out to the FWISD to see how campuses will be instructed to respond to the ruling.
