With a “Rescind now or see you in court” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has directed his latest threat to school’s efforts in protecting children from the worrying increase of COVID-19 cases.
Paxton, who is planning to run for re-election, is part of the anti-masker authority bunch who intend to leverage on conservative voters in their determination to hold on to power.
In his most recent attempt at doing so, the Texan AG has directed threats to school districts in order to leave children unprotected, warning schools that in compliance will meet a legal battle from his office.
According to KXAN, the Eanes Independent School District received a letter Wednesday from Paxton’s office, implying he would pursue legal action if the district continues to enforce its mask rules. The attorney general’s office says the district’s mandate exceeds its authority as restricted by Abbott in his executive order.
“I ask you to rescind your local policy requiring masks in public schools or, alternatively, not enforce it pending the Texas Supreme Court’s disposition of the cases before it involving this issue,” Paxton’s office said in the letter.
Paxton, who threatens legal action over health measures as he currently undergoes his own six-year-old criminal case, has also taken his anti-mask menace to Twitter.
“3 districts rescinded mask-mandates: Trenton, Calvert, & Los Fresnos ISDs. In doing so, they’ll save taxpayers $$ in futile litigation & comply with TX law. More ISDs are still breaking the law. Lawsuits are coming against them THIS WEEK. Rescind now or see you in court!” the Attorney General’s Office tweeted.
Even as Governor Greg Abbott and Paxton -who won’t seem to give up until every child in Texas is infected with Covid vow to punish local government and school district officials who flout the governor’s executive order, they conceded in court documents that they actually have no power to enforce the ban. Paxton is also being investigated by the FBI over accusations last year from former employees who say he abused his political power and accepted bribes and has faced multiple state bar investigations for professional misconduct related to his failed efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results as reported by the Texas Tribune.
