Texas School District Openly Defying State Mask Mandate in Schools

By looking around town you wouldn't think a mask mandate is still in effect, it still is by the way.

Not too far away of drive from us here in Wichita Falls, you will find Weatherford, Texas. Looks like the Peaster Independent School District is the district for that particular area and the superintendent is openly defying the mask mandate in schools for the state of Texas.

Maybe you're thinking this area falls into Greg Abbott's exemption clause in his mask mandate. Which states that if your city has less than 20 active coronavirus cases, the mask mandate does not apply to you. Weatherford has 315 active cases, according to the report issued on Thursday. So yes, the mask mandate does apply to the Peaster Independent School District.

Two Peaster parents filed a formal complaint citing, among other issues, the lack of compliance with safety regulations, but there has been no enforcement of the mask mandate despite Superintendent Lance Johnson’s open defiance.

Many are wondering who enforces this mandate if he is not going to. Looks like the Texas Education Agency isn't going to do anything about it. “School districts and local health officials are in the best position to make decisions specific to their respective communities,” according to a statement from the agency. “Other issues raised in the complaint should be handled by the local board of trustees, should the local board deem action necessary.”

At a Thursday press conference, Governor Greg Abbott said one of the reasons why coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are on the rise again is because local officials are not properly enforcing existing rules and regulations.

Against medical advice Superintendent Lance Johnson remains steadfast that masks are unnecessary in his schools, which serve about 1,350 students. "We know that love will always win the battle over fear, common sense and personal responsibility have a much greater effect than any plethora of mechanisms the school district could deploy to increase the safety of our students, and prayer is a common thread that binds a community together and ties us to blessings that can only come from God," Johnson said in a September email to parents.

We will see if more complaints come in about the superintendent  and the local board of trustees for Peaster Independent School District will do anything about it.