Decision expected soon in North Texas school districts' lawsuits against Gov. Abbott's mask mandate ban

Fort Worth ISD is now part of a group of districts suing Texas Governor Greg Abbott over his mask mandate rules.

FORT WORTH, Texas - Fort Worth ISD is now part of a group of districts suing Texas Governor Greg Abbott over his mask mandate rules.

This comes after the Fort Worth ISD board voted Tuesday night.

Before the vote, public comment ran the gamut.

"I just want to say either mandate or give the kids the option of being virtual, period," Jessie Henry said.

"It is as much a right for your child to wear a mask as it is mine as a parent to decline on behalf of my child," Christopher Gallegos said.

At times, it was also contentious.

Superintendent Kent Scribner announced a mask mandate last week. On Friday, a group of parents sued, and then a judge granted the parents a temporary restraining order.

"I would expect relatively quick decisions on this just because of the urgency of the issue," attorney Sean McCaffity said.

McCaffity is not involved in the case, but offered perspective on the parents’ legal challenge.

"It's going to be incumbent on those parents who are trying to resist wearing masks in the face of a mask mandate to show how they’re really, really being harmed, as opposed to someone who gets COVID and put in ICU on a ventilator," he said.

And McCaffity also gave insight into the district’s move to join others against the governor's ban on mask mandates.

Legal expert looks at Texas mask mandate debate

Masks and vaccines are now not just health issues. They're political and part of legal battles. Constitutional law attorney David Coale joins Good Day to look at the ongoing legal challenges.

"If the Supreme Court rules with Governor Abbott, I think you are likely to see additional litigation on different grounds and in different courts, and as an example of that, I would point to the disability rights Texas federal lawsuit that was filed [Tuesday] night," he said.

That federal case argues that Gov. Abbott’s order violates safety protections for school-age children through the Americans with Disabilities Act.

All of these legal entanglements continue as Fort Worth ISD tries to keep learning intact.

"Rest assured, I believe this board will continue to make careful and deliberate decisions, decisions that are in the best interest of the health and safety of our students staff and teachers," FWISD Board President Tobi Jackson said.

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