August 10, 2021

Honorable Val Demings-District 10

Honorable Neal Dunn-District 2
Honorable Charlie Crist – District 13
Honorable Al Lawson-District 5
United States House of Representatives/Florida
Washington D.C.

Dear Honorable Congresspersons Val Demings, Neal Dunn, Charlie Crist and Al Lawson:
As you very well know, Florida is a “hot spot” as it relates to the surge of COVID-19 and the Delta
variant. Our hospitals are filled with our precious children and overflowing with many Floridians
who are unvaccinated. Many school districts are coming under an enormous amount of political
pressure as to whether or not they should make it mandatory for students to wear masks.

In Florida, a growing crisis has emerged. Governor Ron DeSantis has signed an executive order
prohibiting school boards to mandate wearing face coverings. However, several school districts,
including the district where I pastor, Leon County, have decided that it is in the best interest of
“public health“ that students in some grade levels be required to wear face coverings. The school
districts that decided to mandate wearing facing coverings are following the recommendations from
the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the White
House.

I believe it is totally unfair, unjust and unwise to punish these duly elected school officials for simply
doing what they think is the right thing, that is trying to keep students, staff, teachers, parents and
others safe from the spreading of this highly contagious and deadly virus. Also, I believe that local
school boards decisions should not be sabotaged nor infringed upon by the Governor and the
Florida State Department of Education.

Let me make it abundantly clear! We must respect everybody’s freedom and liberty. Those who
don’t want to wear a mask shouldn’t be penalized nor singled out. Likewise, those parents who
want their children to wear face coverings should not be vilified. We are experiencing a historic
public health crisis in Florida. We must stand up and support those school districts that are
following the guidance of the medical experts and scientists. We trust our doctors and medical
experts who are highly educated and trained to navigate us through this pandemic. This policy
should not be about politics, nor the next election, but about how many of our children are sick and
in the hospital because of this virus. Therefore, we must take the necessary steps to ensure the
safety of all our beloved children.
Page Two
Honorable Val Demings-District 10
Honorable Neal Dunn-District 2
Honorable Charlie Crist – District 13
Honorable Al Lawson-District 5
United States House of Representatives/Florida

I am asking the Florida Congressional Delegation to call upon the United States
Department of Education to support the decision of our elected school boards across this
great state and not allow Governor DeSantis, nor the Florida Board of Education to remove
duly elected superintendents and school boards elected or appointed by the people.
Additionally, we must ask the federal government to declare the Governor’s threat to take
school officials’ salaries null and void. Many people don’t believe in “defunding” education.
The federal government appropriates substantial dollars to Florida’s Department of
Education. Honorable Congresspersons, please take the proper legal strategies if necessary,
to keep Governor DeSantis and the Department of Education from harming our local elected
school officials.

We need federal intervention now, to support the public health decision of our
superintendents and school boards. Unfortunately, history records that we had to call upon the
federal government to help implement the desegregation of schools, public accommodations, voting
rights and implementation of the Civil Rights Bill in the sixties. Florida is at a cross road: our
cherished children are caught up in the crossfire and Floridians are being hospitalized and
dying from COVID-19 in unacceptable numbers. I am calling upon you to get the appropriate
federal governmental agencies to lean in by supporting local elected officials that are trying to do
their constitutional jobs!
Sincerely,

Reverend Dr. RB Holmes, Pastor, Bethel Missionary Baptist Church

Chair, Statewide Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccination
Community Education and Engagement Taskforce
President, Tallahassee Chapter, National Action Network
bethel@betheltally.org

C:  Honorable President Joe Biden

 Honorable Vice-President Kamala Harris
 Leon County School Board
District 1- Alva Striplin
District 2- Rosanne Wood
District 3-Darryl Jones (Vice-Chair)
District 4-DeeDee Rasmussen
District 5-Georgia "Joy" Bowen (Chair)
 Superintendent-Rocky Hanna
Leon County Schools
 Adora Obi Nweze, President
NAACP Florida State Conference
 Mutaque Akbar, Esq.
President of Tallahassee Branch/NAACP