Floyd school board member reports he has the virus

PORTALES — A Floyd school board member suspended for bucking Public Education Department mandates for COVID-19 mitigation is reporting on social media that he has contracted the virus.

Board Vice President Jeff Essary, in a series of public Facebook posts, said he would continue to be against vaccination and mask mandates.

“Even though I have COVID you can keep your vaccine, keep your mask mandates and keep all your liberal COVID fear,” he wrote Aug. 20 on his Facebook page. “Just don’t believe in your drama politics!!”

He has also posted public Tik Tok videos from a hospital room while wearing some form of oxygen mask, and said on Facebook he was receiving substandard care from Roosevelt General Hospital in Portales.

RGH officials declined comment.

Essary, when contacted Aug. 23 by The News to see if he or his family would answer questions, responded, “Not at this time.”

The Floyd farmer has been a vocal critic of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the state’s COVID-19 protocols. In late July, he and four other Floyd school board members voted to make following the PED’s COVID-19 toolkit optional at Floyd Schools.

Then-Education Secretary Ryan Stewart demanded the board rescind its votes, and threatened suspension of the board for noncompliance. The board held a special meeting Aug. 2. Following a half-hour of public comments in support of the board and an hourlong executive session, the board declined to change its stance and put Superintendent Damon Terry on paid administrative leave to shield him from fallout.

Stewart suspended the board Aug. 4 and reinstated Terry. Stan Rounds was later delegated to act on the school board’s behalf during the suspension. A district judge in Santa Fe ruled Aug. 20 against an injunction the board sought on the suspension. The board members argued the PED failed to comply with formal rule making processes required for issuance of emergency regulations.

A public hearing on the suspension, which is required within 60 days, remains to be scheduled.

Robert Moss, one of three attorneys hired by the Floyd board members, told The News on Aug. 23 he does not know the health status of any of the board members and that counsel is concerned with what legal authority the PED does or does not have and not pandemic or political matters.

“It doesn’t change the standpoint,” Moss said. “The legal team is attacking the procedures that weren’t followed properly to remove them.”

Officials from Floyd Schools declined comment when contacted by The News.