The Texas Supreme Court ruled on Sunday that Dallas and San Antonio must obey Gov. Greg Abbott‘s executive order that banned local governments and other state institutions from imposing mask mandates, CNN reported.
Some local leaders, however, are ignoring the high court’s order.
Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said he will still force students, faculty, and staff in his district to wear masks.
“The order that was issued by the Supreme Court applied to Dallas County, and it’s listed, ‘Clay Jenkins and Dallas County,’ it did not say one word about Dallas ISD in that order,” Hinojosa said. “And so, I have been on the phone with my attorneys all afternoon and they are 100% unanimous.”
Abbott’s executive order prohibits school districts, as a state-run entity, from imposing mask mandates.
“We are going to have the mask mandate tomorrow,” Hinojosa said on Sunday. “We’re going to be benevolent; we’re going to be nice, but we’re going to be firm and we’re going to enforce it.”
San Antonio City Attorney Andy Segovia said Abbott misused his executive authority, so Bexar County and San Antonio will enforce mask mandates in public schools and other government-run buildings.
Segovia said Abbott “cannot use his emergency powers to suspend laws that provide local entities the needed flexibility to act in an emergency.”
“Bexar County Health Authority Dr. Junda Woo’s health directive mandating the use of masks in public schools from pre-kindergarten through grade 12th remains in effect,” he said in a statement. “City facilities will also continue to require the use of masks for both staff and visitors.”
Despite the Texas Supreme Court’s ruling, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said he still plans to hold a hearing to grant a temporary injunction that strikes down Abbott’s executive order.
“We won’t stop working with parents, doctors, schools, business + others to protect you and intend to win that [temporary injunction] hearing,” said Jenkins, a Democrat.
