LISTEN: Upset by mask mandate, superintendent calls Beshear ‘liberal lunatic’

SCIENCE HILL, Ky. (WTVQ) – The governor’s mask mandate for schools announced Tuesday will most likely be hashed out in court, but in the court of public opinion the reaction was swift and divided. In Science Hill a school superintendent ripped the governor and the mask mandate in a voicemail message to school families.

We talked to Superintendent Jimmy Dyehouse, who’s also the principal, about his call and he was unapologetic.

Word of the call spread quickly in Science Hill. Some people say they were shocked to hear someone in a leadership position call the governor a “Liberal lunatic”.

“I understand that a lot of people around here, they’re not happy about their kids being required to wear masks to school but masks shouldn’t become a political thing because it’s in the interest of public health,” says Faith Ruby.

Others though agree with the superintendent and still think masks should be optional.

“There’s no sense in it,” says Hailey Stripling. “If they can’t not wear a mask then they shouldn’t even- like they shouldn’t even have school opened if it’s how that’s gonna be. They should just close it down and let them go back to virtual.”

People have different opinions, but most everyone can agree the superintendent’s message sparked a strong response.

“If I ever did choose to have kids and put them in the schools here, I would definitely have to think twice about it, maybe homeschool because of that,” says Ruby.

PULASKI COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ) – Reaction has been strong on both sides of Governor Andy Beshear’s mask mandate, requiring everyone to wear masks in schools.

One of the latest examples of that divide is an explosive voice message a Kentucky school superintendent sent to parents in his district.

Science Hill Superintendent Jimmy Dyehouse called Beshear a “liberal lunatic” in response to the new mask mandate.

“I’ll never apologize for standing strong for kids,” Dyehouse said.

He said families in the single-school district in Pulaski County made it clear they didn’t want their kids to have to wear masks in school. Now, Dyehouse said that decision is being forced on them.

“All I want as superintendent here at Science Hill is to be left alone to make those decisions at the local level,” Dyehouse said.

Shortly after Beshear’s announcement Tuesday that masks would be required in all schools, Dyehouse sent out the critical voice message.

Reaction to the message has been mixed – some support it – others say it’s offensive and unprofessional.

“After the message went out, the support started coming in,” Dyehouse said. “You’re saying what all of us wanted to say – messages like that.”

Dyehouse said his frustration comes from the fact that there were only ten positive cases during in-person learning last year, which he said proves the district knows what’s best when it comes to keeping students safe.

Dyehouse said they are going to follow the mandate, but he hopes it gets overturned in court soon.

SCIENCE HILL, Ky. (WTVQ) – The superintendent of a small Eastern Kentucky school district isn’t backing down from comments in which he called Gov. Andy Beshear a “liberal lunatic” for imposing a mask mandate on the state’s public and private schools, preschools and day care centers.

In a minute-long voice message left parents Tuesday night, Science Hill Independent School District Superintendent Jimmy Dyehouse criticized the governor’s decision for taking matters out of the hands of local school boards and education leaders.

Science Hill, which provides education for students in grades K-8, started school Wednesday morning and a small group of parents gathered outside the district’s one school to protest the mask mandate.

Science hill is a town of about 900 people along Highway 27 north of Somerset in Pulaski County.

Wednesday morning, Dyehouse acknowledged a few people in the district might disagree with him but the vast majority have expressed support in texts, emails and phone calls.