Genesee County health officials receive death threat after issuing mask mandate

A pair of Genesee County health officials had their lives threatened this week after instituting a mask mandate for thousands of students and teachers in the mid-Michigan county in an effort to stave off further spread of COVID-19. 

Medical Health Officer Pamela Hackert and Genesee County's Deputy Health Officer Kayleigh Blaney were threatened earlier this week, Blaney told the Free Press on Wednesday. She declined additional comment. 

Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton confirmed his office is involved in an investigation and someone is in custody. He declined further comment. 

"Based on the investigation there does not appear to be any immediate threat to the director, deputy director, or the staff at the health department. The case has been turned over for review to Prosecutor David Leyton and is awaiting disposition," Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson told Mid-Michigan Now television station. 

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Swanson did not immediately return messages seeking comment. A spokeswoman for the office of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel did not provide any details on an investigation, but said the department takes threats against public officials seriously. 

Hackert's department issued the mandate earlier this month. The plan applies to all students in kindergarten through sixth grade, along with all faculty and staff in these schools. 

The mandate is to remain in effect until 2 months after federal regulators authorize a vaccine for younger kids and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says transmission rates in the area are low to moderate.

The county is home to Flint and a number of suburbs, including Grand Blanc and Davison. Since issuing the mandate, parents who support and oppose the new rule have protested at local county commission meetings. 

Genesee County was the first to institute such a mandate. Since then, other large counties — including Oakland and Kent counties — have adopted similar rules. Those decisions also prompted pushback; several hundred parents and others protested outside the Oakland County Health Department on Wednesday. 

Wayne County executives say they are no timeline for instituting a broad mask mandate, and questioned the efficacy of a countywide order. 

"It is an open discussion among county health officials as we look at the data each day. One of the issues is enforcement. How do you enforce such a mandate and what happens when people – or in this case, schools – don’t follow it?" said Bill Nowling, a spokesman for Wayne County Executive Warren Evans.

"Wayne County has made it clear it will not issue orders for appearances’ sake. Nothing is preventing school districts from following our strong recommendations to mask up, which are based on the best health and medical data we have. If someone is not going to do this on their own accord, it begs the question whether they will follow a stronger mandate." 

At least for now, Macomb County will forego a mask mandate for the 130,000 children in its K-12 schools, and will instead work with school boards and superintendents to come up with the best plan for COVID-19 mitigation measures in their local districts, said County Executive Mark Hackel in a video statement released Wednesday.

"You're going to continue to have this conflict and controversy over something that is extremely polarizing and people are very passionate about the way they feel about it. But as I always say, you know, in the meantime, we all know what to do," Hackel said. 

"It’s personal responsibility and I think even the governor used that word, keeping you and your kids safe. … If you're uncomfortable that your school doesn't have a mask mandate, you are still allowed to have your kids masked up to go to school, and they’re still allowed to wear the mask to school." 

More:Whitmer: 'No plans to do any broad mandates' around vaccines, masks in schools

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These local orders are up for debate in part because there is no statewide mandate, something that has frustrated some school superintendents and other administrators. 

The governor and state health officials believe schools should require masks, and the state health department has the power to issue such a mandate. But Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Department of Health and Human Services Director Elizabeth Hertel are choosing not to do so.

They have said students must mask up, but have largely dodged questions about why a statewide mask rule would be less effective than encouraging local districts to adopt universal masking policies. 

Although President Joe Biden's administration touted the necessity for widespread masking on Tuesday, Whitmer's administration has repeatedly argued they are following best practices by encouraging action at the local level. 

"Our school boards are, should be working with parents and working with teachers and para-pros and bus drivers to keep people they serve safe," Whitmer said Monday after an event in Lansing.

"It's not comfortable to make these hard decisions. If anyone knows that, it's me."

Whitmer spokesman Bobby Leddy said Tuesday evening more than 150 districts have mask policies, representing about 43% of all students in the state. 

Michigan's COVID-19 trends remain headed in a dangerous direction. Case rates, hospitalizations and deaths are all up substantially from lows experiences earlier this summer. State health experts anticipate another pandemic surge that may not start to decline until September or October. 

Contact Dave Boucher at dboucher@freepress.com or 313-938-4591. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.