Texas parent angrily tears off teacher's mask during heated exchange: Report

An unnamed Texas parent reportedly tore off a teacher's mask during an angry exchange, prompting a school officials to warn, "Do not fight mask wars in our schools."

The alleged assault was said to have taken place during a "Meet the Teacher" event, according to KEYE-TV.

What are the details?

The altercation, according to the Washington Post, took place during the first week of the 2021-22 school year for the Eanes Independent School District in Austin.

In a Tuesday note to district parents and staffers, Eanes ISD Superintendent Tom Leonard announced several disturbing mask-related incidents that reportedly took place in schools across the district.

The incidents, according to the report, have unfolded as Eanes ISD recently announced a mask requirement for students, staff, and visitors after a judge issued a temporary restraining order on Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's ban on local mask mandates.

"Some parents physically and verbally assaulted teachers because of masks," the outlet reported.

"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 in the statement.

In his letter, Leonard wrote, "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."

The outlet's coronavirus tracker reported that coronavirus cases in Texas rose 11% week over week as hospitalizations increased 21% week over week.

The announcement comes as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) — who has spoken out in opposition to mask-wearing in schools — is confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated and having received a booster shot.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend all students and school employees wear masks indoors.

According to Newsweek, Leonard in his note continued, "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. 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."

Eanes ISD spokesperson Claudia McWhorter told KEYE that the incident was not reported to local police.

"Out of sensitivity to the campus staff, we are not releasing the name of the school, nor the name of the teachers, " McWhorter told the station. "As seen by yesterday's behavior, emotions are high right now and the last thing we need is for people to antagonize our staff even more."