The debate over masks got so heated in one Texas school district that a parent got into an altercation with a teacher and ripped the mask off of her face.
The incident happened Monday after several weeks of debate over mask rules and mandates in Austin's Eanes Independent School District.
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Following the incident, Superintendent Tom Leonard issued a statement to the community, urging people to treat others respectfully even if they have different beliefs.
"A parent physically assaulted a teacher by ripping a mask off her face, others yelling at a teacher to take off her mask because they could not understand what the teacher was saying while her face was covered," Leonard said. "This type of behavior will not be tolerated in Eanes ISD. Our staff are on the front lines of this pandemic; let's give them some space and grace. Please, I am asking everyone to be kind. ... Do not fight mask wars in our schools."
It's not clear if the teacher was injured, but reports say no charges were filed.
Leonard said adults need to serve as the best examples for their children and if they choose to fight over whether mask mandates should be allowed, they should "take it outside" and out of the schools.
"I am asking as kindly as I can: please treat each other the way you would like to be treated. During this difficult time, let's provide a respectful oasis on our buses, in our schools and on our campuses," he said. "The children are watching and learning how we behave, so let's make the time our students spend in school a joyful and positive experience."
Leonard said the Eanes ISD is following the current Travis County order, which mandates masks in all public schools.
"Compliance with this order is reliant on self-regulation, which means we can highly encourage or strongly recommend mask wearing, but we must rely on the individual student or staff member's cooperation," Leonard said. "We cannot legally apply consequences to a student or staff member who refuses to wear a mask. Even if we were to make masks part of our school dress code, the Travis County Order and particularly the Governor's Order do not permit enforcement."
Leonard went on to say that parents should be aware that under the order, some students and staff may choose not to wear masks, and that the district cannot apply consequences for non-compliance.
The county order goes against Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who issued an order banning local governments -- including school districts -- from imposing mask mandates. It comes at a time the state is dealing with a spike in COVID cases that has overwhelmed hospitals.
Despite his order, resistance is growing. Several school districts have voted to require masks as children begin a new school year.
President Joe Biden on Wednesday directed the Education Department to use "all available tools" against states that block school officials from adopting safety protocols, like mask mandates. That includes potential legal action from the government and total loss of federal education funding.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all students in kindergarten through 12th grade wear masks.
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