Texas AG Paxton suing school districts for defying Gov. Abbott mask mandate executive order

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Friday that his office launched six lawsuits against six school districts that have defied the governor’s order and implemented mask mandates.

Over 120 schools have defied Abbott’s ban and implemented mask mandates for students and teachers returning for the fall term and nearly 100 schools have either recently received letters of complaints from the attorney general’s office or are already in a legal battle with the state.  "The Texas Supreme Court has sided with the law, and the decision to enforce mask mandates lies with the governor’s legislatively granted authority," Paxton said in a statement. "Mask mandates across our state are illegal, and judges must abide by the law. Further non-compliance will result in more lawsuits."