The widow of a kindergarten teacher in Georgia says it was "painful and insulting" when the superintendent and two school board members refused to honor his dying wish, even for a few seconds.. US News Summaries. | Newser
When an employee of the school district in Cobb County, Georgia, asked unmasked - though appropriately distanced - school board members to don mask for 13 seconds in tribute to a COVID-afflicted teacher's dying request, the ones not already wearing them just sat there.
A Georgia teacher s obituary pleaded for mask wearing. At a school board meeting, 3 officials refused. Grace Hauck, USA TODAY
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In the wake of three teacher deaths from COVID-19 in Cobb County, Georgia, school board officials refused to wear face masks at a board meeting Thursday when asked by a district employee.
It was kindergarten art teacher Patrick Key s dying wish. Patrick felt passionate about wearing masks during the pandemic, his obituary said. In lieu of flowers, please buy and wear a mask to protect others and yourself in honor of him.
Key, 53, a Marietta resident, died Christmas Day after a 41-day battle with COVID-19 in the ICU, according to the obituary. He was a life-long lover of all things comic books, science fiction, Star Wars and Manga, the obituary said. He taught in Cobb County, a suburban county of Atlanta, for 23 years.
At the board meeting last week, district employee Jennifer Susko spoke during the public comment session. She asked all eight board members and the superintendent to honor Key by observing a moment of silence and putting on face masks as a tribute to this teacher, who did everything you asked of him – even teaching through a pandemic. As teachers and staff are being asked to do more than ever, we would appreciate that more be done to remember and honor Patrick tonight, Susko said, according to a recording of the meeting.
As Susko paused for more than 10 seconds of silence, two board members and the superintendent, who were not wearing face masks, did not put one on.
By Leia IdlibyJan 25th, 2021, 11:26 am
Cobb County teacher
Patrick Key, who was vocally adamant about the importance of mask wearing, died of the coronavirus on Christmas Day yet several school board members still refused to wear masks to honor their colleague’s dying wish.
“Patrick felt passionate about wearing masks during the pandemic,” read Key’s obituary. “In lieu of flowers, please buy and wear a mask to protect others and yourself in honor of him.”
While all members honored Key with silence, and most were already wearing masks, at least three, including Superintendent
Chris Ragsdale, refused to honor Key’s last request.