Three Cobb County, Georgia school board members decided they would rather defiantly not wear a mask than put one on for 13 seconds to respect the dying wish of their fellow teacher during a moment of silence for the art educator, who lost his life to COVID on Christmas Day.

Said the board meeting moderator Jennifer Susko: “His obituary said, ‘Patrick felt passionate about wearing masks during the pandemic. In lieu of flowers, please buy and wear a mask to protect others and yourself in honor of him.’ I’m going to stop talking for a few seconds in honor of Mr. Key. During the silence I’d like to ask all members of the board and the superintendent to put on your mask in tribute to this teacher, who did everything you asked for him, including teaching during a pandemic.”

Two board members, including the superintendent, Chris Ragsdale, didn’t budge.

Said the moderator: “I’d like the record to reflect that some of you did not wear a mask, the final request of a Cobb teacher who died. Your actions in these two minutes have spoken louder than words. We see where your priorities are. Please know that many of us reject your false gratitude for staff since we seem disposable to many of you.”

A teacher's dying wish was for people to wear masks during the pandemic. 3 Cobb County, GA educators have died during COVID. At a school board meeting Thursday, 2 board members & the superintendent refused to wear masks even during a moment of silence. A staff member responds: pic.twitter.com/QR75zdzQXP
— Brendan Keefe (@BrendanKeefe) January 22, 2021

The Washington Post reports: “Cobb County, one of the most populous counties in Georgia, has reported 58,973 coronavirus cases, the third-highest number in the state, and has experienced a surge in infections since December. Nearly eight out of 100 people have tested positive in the county, double what that number was less than two months ago.”