‘Dystopian’: Florida Sheriff Faces Backlash for Banning Masks in His Department as Local Covid-19 Deaths Spike

Sarah RumpfAug 12th, 2020, 10:12 pm
 
marion county florida sheriff billy woods

Photo via Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

A Florida sheriff is making national headlines for not just criticizing face masks, but banning them for his deputies and staff — as well as visitors to the sheriff’s offices — on the same day that Covid-19 deaths in his county hit an all-time high.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, the top cop in the north central Florida county, issued his prohibition in response to a local ordinance mandating masks that was passed by the Ocala City Council last week.

Woods noted that the new regulation allowed an exemption for government entities, and so he decided to exercise his legal authority to not just neglect to require masks, but to actively oppose them.

“Now, that ordinance exempts government entities and leaves the decision to the figure heads,” Woods explained in an email to his staff. “So, as for us, my order will stand as is when you are on-duty/working as my employee and representing my Office — masks will not be worn.”

He also added that any visitors to their offices would be asked to remove their masks, or they would be asked to leave.

Woods did allow for a small list of exceptions where masks still needed to be worn — at the courthouse, schools, hospitals, responding to a call involving a “high risk elderly individual” — but otherwise was stern in his communication about the issue, dismissing the anticipated criticism, saying that he could “already hear the whining.”

The rationale offered by Woods was that “[i]n light of the current events when it comes to the sentiment and/or hatred toward law enforcement in our country today, this is being done to ensure there is clear communication and for identification purposes of any individual walking into a lobby.”

Meanwhile, Florida has had over a half a million coronavirus cases, and almost 9,000 deaths so far during the pandemic. Marion County set a new daily record on Tuesday for deaths from Covid-19, reporting 13 dead from the virus. Cases are also spiking at the county jail, with more than 200 inmates, along with 36 jail employees, testing positive.

A number of law enforcement agencies across the country have balked at requiring masks, citing concerns they may interfere with officers in the line of duty, but Woods is one of the very few sheriffs that has actually banned his deputies from wearing them, according to the Washington Post.

Woods has local support from both the mayor of Ocala, the county’s most populous city, and the police chief there. The city ordinance mandating masks was actually vetoed by Mayor Kent Guinn (R), and passed only after his veto was overridden by the council. Both Guinn and Ocala Police Chief Greg Graham have publicly vowed they would not enforce the mandate.

Woods’ email made it clear he was digging in his heels, writing that mask wearing was “no longer a debate nor is it up for discussion.”

The sheriff may not want a debate, but Twitter gave him one anyway, with reactions mostly shocked or dismayed. A number of the comments noted that Woods’ no-mask mandate came mere hours after he participated in a call with sheriffs around the country and President Donald Trump, who spent months disdaining face masks and only recently donned one in public.

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Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law&Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky.