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DRIPPING SPRINGS, TX – A Texas father recently took off his pants in an unusual way to convince officials at his son’s school to put students and staff on their masks when the delta variant of the coronavirus rises across the state.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott last month banned school districts and other government agencies from applying mask mandates. However, some parents, including James Akerks, believe that local school authorities should defy order and adopt local guidelines that better protect students and staff.
To make his point, Akers, whose child is a high school student in the Dripping Springs Independent School District, about 25 miles east of Austin, took off his swimsuit at Monday’s school committee meeting.
And on the side, Akers offered a lesson on what is and what is not acceptable clothing in a pandemic – notwithstanding the Zoom meetings, where a mullet wardrobe from “shop upstairs, party downstairs” has a place.
“I don’t like the government or any other entity – just ask my wife – telling me what to do,” Akers said, according to the video of the school council meeting broadcast on news channel KXAN. “But sometimes I have to postpone the envelope a little and I’ve just decided that I don’t just talk about it, but go the way.”
With that he began to undress and spiced up his burlesque show with comments, often sarcastic, about other measures taken to protect the public.
“At work, they force me to wear this jacket. I hate it. You’re making me wear this shirt and tie. I hate it, ”he said as the clothes came off. “On the way here I ran across three stop signs and four red lights.
“I almost killed someone out there. But by God, it’s my roads too. So I have every right to go as fast as I want.”
After taking off his jacket and shirt, Akers stood at the microphone and addressed the school board members sitting on the raised platform in front of him.
“It’s a simple protocol, folks,” he said, unbuttoning his pants and dropping them to wolf whistles and applause. “We follow certain rules for good reason.”
School council president Barbara Stroud was unimpressed.
“Mr. Akers, “she said,” I see – I think – you are bait, but if you mind putting your pants back on for a comment, that would be grateful. “
Akers did what he asked.
The school board members did not act on their mask policy, which encourages but does not require students, staff and visitors to wear masks.
“We strongly encourage staff, students and visitors to volunteer to comply with local health regulations and wear masks on the district’s premises, especially in our elementary schools where students are not yet able to get vaccinated,” the district said. “We recognize the conflicting guidelines on mask requirements for local and state officials.”
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