Parent rips face mask off teacher in confrontation at school, Texas district says
A teacher’s face mask worn to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 was ripped off by a parent days before the first day of school in Texas, according to a school official.
A statement, titled “Creating An Oasis For Our Students,” provided insights into the return to school at Eanes Independent School District in Austin as well as details on unfortunate situations like the face mask incident. Eanes ISD is a K-12 school district.
“The last few days leading to the start of school have been a whirlwind of information and action from governors, attorney generals, judges, mayors, superintendents and even principals,” said Tom Leonard, superintendent of schools. “While many may not agree on the particulars (i.e., masks or no masks), we all want students to be safe and we all should treat each other respectfully.”
While he shared that campus principals reported several “magical moments” — like students in face masks excited to see their friends again — there were also “a few sad moments.”
In addition to one parent physically assaulting a teacher by ripping the mask off her face, Leonard wrote, others yelled at a teacher to take off her mask. Those yelling claimed “they could not understand what the teacher was saying while her face was covered,” according to his statement.
The physical assault took place during a “Meet the Teacher” event, CBS Austin reported. School starts Aug. 18, according to the district’s Back to School website.
“This type of behavior will not be tolerated in Eanes ISD,” Leonard continued. “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.”
Thursday, three days after the incidents, Leonard said no charges have been filed, according to CNN. He said the decision to pursue charges would be made by the teachers.
The superintendent said that if there are repeated incidents, they could file a no trespass order to keep the parent off the campus.
Leonard said Eanes ISD will continue following the Travis County Order, which mandates masks in schools, unless the Texas Supreme Court rules that the order has been superseded by the governor.
The order states masks are required by students, staff and visitors over the age of 2 when on school property or school buses during specific stages of the Austin Public Health’s Risk-Based Chart. Compliance with the order is “reliant on self-regulation and a community commitment to public health and safety under the threat of COVID-19.”
Because compliance is reliant on self-regulation, Leonard said the district can “’highly encourage’ or ‘strongly recommend’ mask wearing, but we must rely on the individual student or staff member’s cooperation.”
The district does not require masks if “developmentally inappropriate, when eating meals or snacks indoors, when participating in extracurricular activities (including P.E.), and during any outdoor activities,” Leonard said.
The district cannot legally give consequences to those who do not wear a mask, the statement says.
“Please understand, we want our schools to be safe. All staff should treat students, parents and each other with respect,” he said in the Aug. 17 statement. “School starts tomorrow. Let’s make this as joyful a time as we can for students, parents and staff. We are all in this pandemic together. If adults choose to disagree and fight among themselves (as my mother often advised my brother and me when we fought) please take it outside, off our campuses and out of our schools.”
This story was originally published August 17, 2021 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Parent rips face mask off teacher in confrontation at school, Texas district says."