Tag Archives: schools

Feds officially investigating Texas mask mandate ban

Posted on September 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday launched a civil rights investigation into Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates in schools, making Texas the sixth state to face a federal inquiry over mask rules. The investigation will focus … Continue reading →

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Galveston ISD mask mandate remains, Round Rock gets halted

Posted on September 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A Galveston County judge Thursday denied an attempt by Attorney General Ken Paxton to stop Galveston ISD from requiring masks, according to a court document. Judge Kerry Neves ruled against Texas’ request for a temporary restraining order on mask … Continue reading →

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Federal judge will fast-track mask mandate ban lawsuit

Posted on September 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’m ready. Federal District Judge Lee Yeakel said Wednesday morning he intends to fast-track a lawsuit filed on behalf of 14 Texas schoolchildren with disabilities who allege that Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates breaks federal law by discriminating … Continue reading →

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Paxton sues more school districts

Posted on September 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Another rampage by the morally bankrupt felon in the AG’s office. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has unleashed another wave of lawsuits against school districts over their masking policies — but one of them says it doesn’t even require face … Continue reading →

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A bit of good news in the wastewater

Posted on September 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll take it where I can get it. Community spread of coronavirus is on the decline from its recent summertime high, but experts warn that Labor Day gatherings and kids’ return to classrooms could bring a rash of new infections … Continue reading →

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Paxton sues several school districts over mask mandates

Posted on September 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever, dude. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Friday that he filed a lawsuit against Richardson ISD, following through on his pledge to sue school districts who mandate masks. The district defied Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order prohibiting local entities … Continue reading →

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We really need a mask mandate at every school district

Posted on September 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Or we can just accept a lot more hospitalized kids. Easy choice if you ask me. The number of Texas children hospitalized with COVID-19 hit an all-time high over the weekend, with 345 on Saturday and 307 on Sunday, the … Continue reading →

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Just a reminder, no one is enforcing Abbott’s mask mandate ban

Posted on September 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

In case you had forgotten. While Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is speaking out against mask mandates in schools and suing to stop some Texas school districts from enacting them, in reality his order banning such mandates has gone largely unenforced … Continue reading →

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A rough start to the school year

Posted on September 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

For some districts more than others. Angleton and Livingston ISDs announced this week they temporarily were shutting down their schools, the first Houston-area districts to halt all in-person learning amid rising numbers of COVID-19 cases among students and staff, but … Continue reading →

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Feds take first steps in the mask mandate fight

Posted on September 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Coming attractions. The U.S. Department of Education is opening civil rights investigations to determine whether five states that have banned schools from requiring masks are discriminating against students with disabilities, the agency said on Monday. The department is targeting Iowa, … Continue reading →

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Readin’ and writin’ and gettin’ COVID

Posted on August 30, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Welcome back to school, kids. Positive COVID-19 cases among Texas public school students rose by more than 9,000 last week, the highest number ever recorded in a seven-day period, state data shows. As of Aug. 22, there were 14,033 reports … Continue reading →

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More injunctions against the mask mandate bans

Posted on August 29, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Keep ’em coming. Concluding that Gov. Greg Abbott exceeded his authority by banning mask mandates in Texas, an Austin judge ruled Friday that school districts in Travis County can enforce face coverings as a COVID-19 precaution. State District Judge Catherine … Continue reading →

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Other things the Lege has been up to

Posted on August 29, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A brief roundup, to clear some tabs… Bad Bail Bill 2.0 moves forward. A sweeping revision of the process for releasing accused criminals on bail won initial approval from the Texas House on Friday night, nearly three months after the … Continue reading →

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More teenagers are getting vaccinated

Posted on August 25, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good, but not enough in itself. As a third COVID wave coincides with the back-to-school season, more Texas teenagers are getting the vaccine — but health experts say they need to see shots increase in even larger numbers to protect … Continue reading →

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HISD starts its year

Posted on August 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck, kids. You too, parents. For the second straight year, Houston ISD is set to welcome back nearly 200,000 students in the midst of a pandemic. The similarities between last year and Monday’s reopening end there, however. HISD entered … Continue reading →

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The status of the mask mandate lawsuits

Posted on August 23, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron does a roundup. Texas courtrooms have become a busy place this August, with Attorney General Ken Paxton battling school districts, cities, counties and nonprofits to defend Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on local mask mandates aimed at preventing the … Continue reading →

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The mask rebellion

Posted on August 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Sweet, sweet music to the ears. The local mask rebellion, coupled with the fresh threat of legal action from President Joe Biden’s administration, poses the most serious challenge yet to [Gov. Greg] Abbott’s emergency powers, which he has wielded in … Continue reading →

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Yes, the wastewater is also pointing to a COVID surge

Posted on August 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

In case you were wondering. There is more COVID-19 in the city’s wastewater system now than at any time in the pandemic, city officials said Wednesday, the latest warning that the virus is spreading at an unprecedented rate. Dr. David … Continue reading →

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I don’t know what to make of these Spectrum/Ipsos polls about COVID and mask mandates

Posted on August 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’m going to present to you three Spectrum News stories about a poll they commissioned regarding COVID issues, and then I’m going to tell you what I think about them. (Spoiler alert: The post title more or less sums it … Continue reading →

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A few words from the CEO of the Medical Center

Posted on August 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

From an interview he did with Lisa Gray. What we’re seeing, sadly, is more of the same, only with more intense numbers. The number of people who are testing positive in our community continues to escalate month over month. The … Continue reading →

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The feds prepare to enter the mask mandate fight

Posted on August 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott may soon be fighting a war on two fronts — with local officials and the federal government — to stave off mandatory COVID-19 prevention efforts after the Biden administration announced Wednesday it was going after … Continue reading →

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Federal lawsuit filed against Abbott’s mask mandate ban

Posted on August 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. Disability Rights Texas filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against Abbott and Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath over Abbott’s executive order preventing school districts from enacting their own mask-wearing requirements. Abbott’s order, the group alleges in the suit, … Continue reading →

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Using the dress code to skirt the ban on mask mandates

Posted on August 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Brilliant! The Paris school district found a loophole in Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order preventing mask mandates across the state. Paris ISD’s board of trustees voted to alter the district’s dress code to include masks, according to its website. The school district, which is located … Continue reading →

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There actually is still a court order that allows for mask mandates in place

Posted on August 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, remember that other lawsuit filed against Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates, by the Southern Center for Child Advocacy? I noted it in passing in this post, and then like you I forgot about it. And then on Sunday … Continue reading →

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Bexar County mask mandate back on

Posted on August 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

And in an update to the original mask mandate lawsuit story, the district court that issues the temporary restraining order that was later stayed by the Supreme Court has now issued a temporary injunction, barring the state from forbidding San … Continue reading →

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SCOTx does what SCOTx does

Posted on August 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Room service, as always. The Texas Supreme Court on Sunday temporarily blocked mask mandates in Dallas and Bexar counties, marking a pivotal moment in the showdown between state and local government as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations surge in Texas. The … Continue reading →

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And it’s off to SCOTx for the mandate stuff

Posted on August 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s where it was always headed. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking the mask mandate battle to the state Supreme Court after the state was defeated in its attempts to overturn such mandates in San Antonio and other municipalities. … Continue reading →

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Harris County gets its restraining order against Abbott

Posted on August 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Step one. A judge in Travis County on Friday granted Harris County a temporary restraining order, blocking Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on local COVID-19 restrictions. The decision by Judge Jan Soifer of the 345th Civil District Court provides legal cover … Continue reading →

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Fort Bend joins the lawsuit parade

Posted on August 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Come on in, the water’s fine. As the Delta variant drives a pandemic surge, Fort Bend County officials on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order banning local government from implementing public health mandates. “I’ll do all … Continue reading →

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A legislator’s view of the mask-ban mandate

Posted on August 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. John Turner pens an op-ed that sums up the arguments for defying Greg Abbott’s executive order banning mask mandates. The governor’s attempted ban on local decision-making is set out in his most recent executive order of July 29. … Continue reading →

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Dallas ISD to require masks

Posted on August 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. Starting Tuesday, Dallas ISD will require students and teachers to wear masks at its campuses, defying Gov. Greg Abbott’s order that bars districts from issuing mask mandates. Superintendent Michael Hinojosa announced the change during a Monday morning … Continue reading →

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HISD to consider mask mandate

Posted on August 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This would be a big deal, for all the obvious reasons. Houston ISD Superintendent Millard House II said Thursday he plans to bring a mask mandate for ratification to the district’s board meeting next week, setting the stage for the … Continue reading →

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Greg Abbott is a threat to students and teachers

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Lindsey Contreras feels backed in a corner. The first day of school is just a couple of weeks away. The mother of two, whose older child attends school in Allen, has been … Continue reading →

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Greg Abbott will blame you if you get sick

Posted on July 30, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

He will take no responsibility at all. With COVID-19 hospitalizations soaring past 5,000 statewide for the first time in nearly five months, state officials are stepping up vaccination outreach programs and promotional campaigns but Gov. Greg Abbott insists that the … Continue reading →

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