Federal Government Asks Judge to Deny Lubbock ISD Injunction

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On Monday, December 27th, the federal government asked a judge to deny an injunction requested by Lubbock ISD.

KAMC News reports that Lubbock ISD and the State of Texas sued the Biden Administration over a mask and vaccine mandate in the Head Start program (a school-readiness program for infants, toddlers and pre-school children in low-income families). They claim that the administration doesn't have the authority for the mandate, and that the masks interfere with child development.

Lubbock ISD also added that a vaccine and mask mandate would force programs to either ignore the mandate and risk losing federal funding, or enforce the mandate and lose staff that don't wish to comply.

The Biden Administration came back by saying that the COVID-19 pandemic has been "devastating for children and families alike," with 50 million Americans having been infected and 800,000 killed. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics determined that as of December 16th, 116 children had died from COVID-19 in Texas out of the 73,000 total COVID-19 deaths in the state.

The Biden Administration also noted that "studies have also shown that a lack of consistent mask usage in schools is associated with a higher risk of transmission." On top of this, the Administration raised a legal technicality, saying that a nationwide injunction is both "uncalled for and inconsistent with a recent appeals court ruling."

A judge has yet to rule on the injunction as of December 27th.