City of Denton ends mask mandate

The Denton City Council on Tuesday rescinded its largely-ignored universal masking requirement that drew a lawsuit from the Texas Attorney General.

The City Council first approved the masking requirements in August 2021, defying Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban of such mandates, and the council has extended the mask mandate multiple times. The city’s mandate requires face coverings in all city buildings, and it requires schools and businesses to implement masking requirements, which has been largely ignored.

In February, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sent a letter to the city of Denton, “demanding the end of a new policy requiring city employees to wear a mask in all common areas or suffer corrective action.”

The City Council last week discussed the threat of the lawsuit in closed session and decided to keep its mask mandate in place, prompting Paxton to file his lawsuit on Feb. 23.

Two days later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that it is relaxing its mask guidance for places considered to be low or medium risk. It is because of that updated guidance and recommendations, the city said in a news release, that the council decided to end its mask mandate.