Coronavirus

School Districts Defy Mask Mandate Bans

Texas is the latest state to ban masks even as new COVID-19 cases skyrocket across the U.S.

School Districts Defy Mask Mandate Bans
Mary Altaffer / AP
SMS

There's a terrifying question many educators are asking as more states ban mask mandates. 

"I have in my mind, 'What if a child dies on my watch?' How do I go say to you, I am really sorry we did everything we could, the governor's executive order kept me from, like what does that do to a parent?" said Austin School District Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde.

Texas is the latest even as new cases skyrocket across the U.S. 

Arkansas, Arizona, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah have similar bans. 

Some school districts are requiring students and faculty to mask up anyway. It's in the name of protecting young children who aren't eligible to get the vaccine.