Indian American Judge in Texas Grants Restraining Order on Gov. Abbot’s Ban on Mask and Vaccine Mandates
- Along with the directive, Judge K.P. George raised the Fort Bend County COVID threat level from orange “significant” to red “severe.”
An Indian American judge in Fort Bend County, Texas has granted county officials a temporary restraining order against Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask and vaccine mandates. Fort Bend County Judge KP George’s decision allows the county to implement their own mandate. He also announced that he raised the county’s COVID threat level from orange “significant” to red “severe.”
“The District Court has approved our Temporary Restraining Order against the Governor’s executive order which prohibited us from implementing measures to protect our children,” George tweeted on Aug. 10. “Even when state leaders play politics, Fort Bend will protect our communities.”
In a series of tweets George explained the reasons for his support for the use of masks, particularly in schools.
“As kids are getting ready to head back to school, kids under 12 are not yet approved to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, so we need to do all we can to protect them. That means wearing masks, and getting vaccinated.”
“As your County Judge, following the science will never be a question for me. Your health and safety will always be my top priority,” he wrote.
In another tweet, he said: “As kids are getting ready to head back to school, kids under 12 are not yet approved to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, so we need to do all we can to protect them. That means wearing masks, and getting vaccinated.”
“I can personally identify with the pleas of parents, teachers, and school administrators requesting that measures be taken to protect our children in their learning environment by requiring face coverings for students and school personnel,” he tweeted. “This is bigger than us.”
Fort Bend is among several local municipalities pushing back against Abbott’s orders, The Houston Public Media reported. San Antonio and Dallas were granted temporary restraining orders against Abbott’s mandate bans on Aug. 10, the report said.
George assumed the office of Fort Bend County Judge on Jan.1, 2019. He grew up in a small village in Kerala, and immigrated to the United States in 1993, per his profile on the county website. A board-certified financial planner, he co-owned and operated a successful financial planning practice in Sugar Land.
In 2014, George was elected to the Fort Bend ISD School Board, where he served two terms before becoming County Judge, the profile says. While a trustee, he earned the distinguished title of Master Trustee from the Texas Association of School Boards.
George and his wife Sheeba, a Fort Bend ISD teacher have three children, Rohit, Helen and Sneha. The family has been living in the county for over 20 years. The George family attends Sugar Creek Baptist Church and they reside in Richmond with their youngest daughter and their two dogs, Rico and Beau.