A Dripping Springs man stripped down to his swimwear at a school board meeting on Aug. 23 in protest of optional mandates proposed by the council.
James Akers, a 15-year resident and Dripping Springs Independent School District parent of three, shared his thoughts on proposed masks within schools by stripping off his clothing down to his swimsuit, citing his displeasure to wear a suit when his job "made him." Akers, originally dressed in a sports coat and pants, began to take off one article at a time as he spoke in protest of the school board's decision.
“It’s simple protocol, people. We follow certain rules. We follow certain rules for a very good reason," Akers said during the meeting to school board members, according to KXAN.
The stunt comes in the wake of Dripping Springs ISD deciding to allow masks as an option for students during the upcoming school year, but not require them, according to KVUE. Within the state of Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott recommends masks be optional but not required, although many other Central Texas school districts have implemented mandates.
"Mr. Akers, I believe you're a swimmer, but if you wouldn't mind putting your pants back on, that would be appreciated," said one of the trustees during Akers' allotted speaking time.
Police were not required to remove Akers from the meeting, as he put his clothes back on while finishing his speech.
"I do not like government or any other entity, just ask my wife, telling me what to do. But sometimes you've got to push the envelope a little bit and I've just decided I'm not going to just talk about it, but I'm going to walk the walk," Akers said to the school board, according to KVUE.
Akers is just one of many parents in Texas who have opposed optional mask requirements for their children within the school system. Last week a teacher was assaulted by a parent in Travis County by ripping a mask off the teacher's face, according to KXAN.
With COVID cases on the rise due to the delta variant, more Texas schools are pushing for masks as optional, if not, required.