The mayor of Dodge City, Kansas, resigned Tuesday after receiving threats over publicly supporting a mask mandate.
Threats against Dodge City Mayor Joyce Warshaw began after she was quoted in a Dec. 11 USA Today article supporting a mask mandate, the Dodge City Globe reported.
“Life has dealt out many challenges in our world that have perhaps caused many people to act inappropriately but I do not feel safe in this position anymore and am hopeful in removing myself this anger, accusations and abuse will not fall on anyone else and will calm down,” Warshaw said in her resignation letter. “I will always call Dodge City home and hold the town and community in high esteem.” (RELATED: ‘It’s Supposed To Be A Free Country’: Restaurant Refuses To Follow State Mask Mandate)
Since the Dec. 11 publication of the USA TODAY story, Mayor Joyce Warshaw said she has been met with aggression, including threats via phone and email from Dodge City citizens. https://t.co/7apzPgjxSI
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) December 16, 2020
Warshaw’s daughter had become infected with the disease and her aunt had died from it, the Dec. 11 USA Today article said. The former mayor is quoted in the article saying, “We just felt like we had to do something so everybody was aware of how important it was for everybody to be responsible for each other’s health and well-being.”
While the specific content of the threats was not revealed, Warshaw said that some threatening emails had been turned over to the police, the Dodge City Globe reported.
“We are looking into the substance of the communication to determine an appropriate course of action,” Dodge City Police Chief Drew Francis said according to the report.
Warshaw told the Dodge City Globe that although she feels that her life has been threatened, she doesn’t regret voting in favor of the mask mandate.
“This is harder for me than people realize,” Warshaw told the newspaper. “I really love this city with all my heart. I still believe in this city and I believe in their ability to not harm one another.”