Dad strips at heated Texas school board meeting to make point on COVID mask mandate

A Texas man stripped during a contentious school board meeting to make a point about wearing masks, causing a stir in the small town of Dripping Springs.

The Dripping Springs Independent School District has a policy stating face masks are optional for the upcoming school year, according to the San Marcos Daily Record. At the beginning of an hours-long meeting on Monday, residents argued for and against adjusting that policy by enforcing stricter COVID-19 safety measures in classrooms.

Passions ran high at times, but one man’s speech has managed to capture national attention.

When James Akers first approached the microphone for his allotted 90 seconds to speak before the board and the socially-distanced audience gathered in the auditorium, he was fully clothed.

But that changed quickly.

He told the board he’s a 15-year resident of Dripping Springs — located west of Austin with a population of about 4,600 — and has had three of his own children go through the school district.

“I do not like the government, or any other entity, telling me what to do,” Akers said while dressed in a jacket, pants, suit and tie. “But sometimes I’ve got to push the envelope a little bit. And I’ve decided I’m not just going to talk about it, I’m going to walk the walk.”

Then the stripping started.

“At work they make me wear this jacket,” he said, pulling it off. “I hate it.”

“They make me wear this shirt and tie,” Akers continued. “I hate it.”

As he shed his clothes, Akers claimed he ran three stop signs and four red lights on the way to the meeting, adding “I have every right to drive as fast as I want to.” Upon arriving, he parked in a handicap space, Akers said while taking off his undershirt and dropping his pants to the ground, earning cheers and jeers from the audience.

Two police officers moved near the microphone, apparently ready to escort Akers out if he dared to remove his last article of clothing — which many Dripping Springs residents say was a bathing suit.

The whole display was to prove a point, he said: red lights, like masks, may be inconvenient, but they also save lives.

“It’s simple protocol, people. We follow certain rules. We follow certain rules for a very good reason,” Akers said.

Board president Barbara Stroud grabbed her gavel, hammering the boos and applause into silence, bringing the meeting back to order.

“Mr. Akers I understand — I believe you’re a swimmer — but if you wouldn’t mind putting your pants back on for a comment, that would be appreciated,” Stroud said.

With his time over, Akers collected his clothes and walked away from the microphone.

If Dripping Springs was divided on the issue of masks, they’re now divided on Akers’ behavior, too.

“Now I’ve seen it all! Good lord. What exactly is he trying to get across?” one Facebook user commented on photos posted from the school board meeting.

“Yikes...he was ridiculous and there were kids at that (meeting),” said another. “I’d be embarrassed.”

Many others agree with Akers, and support his unorthodox contribution to the mask debate.

“Nobody catchin’ covid from a guy in a swim suit. But, someone without a mask…could happen,” a commenter wrote.

“His message was poignant and clear! Wasn’t anymore shocking than the loud disrespectful hecklers yelling over speakers during their time or ripping off the social distancing tape placed by the school board,” said another.

Plenty of others simply enjoyed the unexpected diversion.

“Note to self (attend the next school board meeting and bring $1’s),” one comment read.

Ultimately, no action on masks was taken at the meeting.

Across Texas, some school districts are trying to implement mask mandates in the face of rising COVID-19 cases, McClatchy News reported, and some districts have been forced to close schools entirely to rein in coronavirus infections running rampant among students and staff.

This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 2:54 PM with the headline "Dad strips at heated Texas school board meeting to make point on COVID mask mandate."