Angry parent tears off Texas teacher mask, district superintendent says

AUSTIN, Texas – Two incidents in schools in the Austin area involving parents, teachers and face masks urged school officials to speak out on behalf of teachers by saying “don’t fight mask wars in our schools”.

A teacher at a campus in the Eanes Independent School District was physically assaulted by a parent and her face mask ripped off on Monday as the new school year began.

Another teacher was verbally assaulted and told to take off her mask because an upset parent couldn’t understand what she was saying, according to EISD Superintendent of Schools Tom Leonard.

“This type of behavior will not be tolerated in Eanes ISD. Our staff are on the front lines of this pandemic, ”said Leonard. “Let us give them space and grace. Please I ask everyone to be nice.

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EISD follows a order of a Travis County judge which requires masks in schools.

Mask warrants have been a hot issue for Texas as Gov. Greg Abbott issued a decree of June 5 which prohibited school districts, among others, from imposing masks. He followed up with another decree of July 29, which further reduced the ability of local governments to adopt policies such as requiring people to wear masks.

Local governments, such as Travis and Bexar counties, have responded with temporary ban orders that have allowed districts to decide whether they will impose masks.

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“Eanes ISD is following the current Travis County order, which is in effect and will remain in effect unless a higher court overturns the recent decision of the 345th Travis County Judicial District Court. The directors and I take an oath to obey the laws of Texas. We will follow the law, ”Leonard said.

He noted that while many people disagree on whether to allow mask warrants, Leonard said “we all want students to be safe and we should all treat each other with respect.”

Leonard thanked all the parents who supported the educators and also said there were “magical times”, in addition to sad times, as the children returned to area schools.

The EISD website says face coverings are mandatory but Leonard’s memo says school officials cannot enforce consequences for non-compliance.

“If the adults choose to disagree and fight with each other, as my mother often advised my brother and I when we fought, please take him off our campuses and our schools, ”Leonard said. “The kids watch us and learn how we behave, so make the time our students spend in school a joyful and positive experience. “

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Related: New Wave Of COVID-19 In Texas Could Be Worse Than Anything The State Has Seen Yet