A federal judge said Wednesday that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates in schools violates the Americans With Disabilities Act, bringing a major victory to advocates who filed suit over the Republican governor’s aggressive efforts to limit COVID-19 protections.
U.S. District Court Judge Lee Yeakel’s ruling will renew school districts’ authority to impose mask mandates amid the spread of the coronavirus, and it bars state Attorney General Ken Paxton from enforcing Abbott’s controversial executive order, which he issued in July.
