Texas Supreme Court backs Abbott on mask mandate, issues order against defiant school districts

The Texas Supreme Court issued orders late Sunday blocking two defiant school districts from imposing mask mandates as students return to class, siding with Gov. Greg Abbott.

The orders affect the county school districts where the cities of Dallas and San Antonio are located. Both had defied an executive order from Abbott outlawing mandatory masks in Texas.

"Relator's emergency motion for temporary relief granted," the justices wrote. "Stay order issued."

The orders temporarily block the school districts from imposing mask mandates until the broader issue of the legality of Abbott's executive order is settled.

You can read the ruling here.

“The ban doesn’t prohibit using masks,” Abbott tweeted after Sunday’s ruling. “Anyone who wants to wear a mask can do so, including in schools.”

The Dallas Independent School District said Sunday night it will still require masks this week as students return. Dr. Michael Hinojosa said he made this decision after consulting with lawyers and they determined the stay order issued by the Texas Supreme Court was for Dallas County, but did not mention ISD, Fox 4 in Dallas reported.