Appeals court upholds Texas block on school mask mandates

By KEVIN McGILL
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A divided federal appeals court panel is backing Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order that forbids school districts from imposing mask mandates on schools to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The ruling Monday from the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ended a lower federal court injunction allowing such mandates. Families of children with disabilities had sued, saying the children were vulnerable and that the lack of a masking requirement endangered their health. Writing for the majority in a 2-1 ruling, Judge Andrew Oldham said there are other reasonable options for schools to accommodate the children’s health concerns.