Oklahoma teacher unloads on his state's GOP governor after catching COVID in mask-free school

On Monday, speaking to News 9, an Oklahoma high school teacher blamed Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt for his COVID-19 infection.

Putnam City Schools teacher Aaron Baker told News 9 that he contracted COVID-19 shortly after resuming classes in a school in which very few people are wearing masks to slow the spread of the virus.

He then told News 9 that the state's pandemic politics are the main reason that so many teachers are being put at risk.

"The problem for me, and all of the blame lies with the lawmakers, in particular the governor, who is behind the legislation," Baker said.

Baker said he believes a key reason the virus is as bad as it is in Oklahoma is SB 658, a Republican-backed bill that prohibits schools from enacting mask mandates.

Stitt, himself a survivor of COVID-19, continues to support this measure and has attacked school districts that have tried to defy the legislation, saying, "I will always stand up for parents' right to decide what is best for their child."

"There's a big part of me that was very anxious to get back into the classroom five days a week," said Baker. "This was literally the first time I've taught five days since March of 2020. It likely happened inside my classroom because most other interactions are very short, but no one in my classroom is [at] fault."

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