ROUND ROCK, Texas (Talk1370.com) -- An appeals court has stayed a lower court's order blocking Round Rock ISD's mask mandate, meaning the district can resume enforcing and potentially extend its mandate later this week.
The district's current mask mandate expired Friday at 11:59 p.m. Trustees were originally set to discuss and vote on extending the mandate last Tuesday; however, that meeting was cut short after a number of public disruptions - disruptions that led to at least two people being arrested Friday.
Friday afternoon, the Third Court of Appeals issued a stay of the lower court's order, allowing the district to resume enforcing its mask mandate.
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Based on the latest legal rulings, the board is now expected to take up an extension of the mask mandate this coming Wednesday, Sept. 22.
According to Williamson County Jail records, Dustin Clark and Jeremy Story were both arrested on a misdemeanor charge of "hindering proceedings with disorderly conduct." Both men were arrested Friday evening, and were released from the county jail Saturday morning.
Round Rock ISD officials say the Sept. 14 meeting had limited room for the public to attend in order to maintain social distancing. An overflow room with live audio and video was set up, but some citizens - including Clark and Story - say they were unfairly being kept out of a public meeting.
Clark was forcibly removed from the meeting after getting into an argument with board members. Story reportedly tried to enter the meeting room by getting past a police officer.
District officials say the two men were arrested based on "concerns over disruptive behavior that created a potentially threatening environment for students, staff and community members present and hindered official proceedings."
The district cites Texas Penal Code sections 38.13, 42.01, 42.02, and 42.05, and Texas Education Code 37.105 as its justification for the removal and arrests.
In addition to considering an extension of the mask mandate, RRISD Superintendent Dr. Hafedh Azaiez says trustees will consider a change that would link the mandate to a matrix based on risk stages determined by Travis and Williamson County health authorities.
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