‘I do not feel safe’: Kansas mayor resigns amid mask mandate death threats

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LAWRENCE, Kan. –  A Kansas mayor resigned this week after voicing her support of a COVID-19 mask mandate.

In her resignation letter, Joyce Warshaw referred to people behaving inappropriately with anger and accusations, and abuse she has received over the order for Dodge City.

“Life has dealt out many challenges in our world that have perhaps caused many people to act inappropriately,” she wrote, adding, “but I do not feel safe in this position anymore and am hopeful in removing myself this anger, accusations and abuse will not fall on anyone else and will calm down.”

Warshaw said she began receiving threatening emails in early- to mid-November when the initial mask mandate was put forth for discussion.

“The people that were against the mask mandate were very aggressive in their verbiage,” Warshaw said in an interview with KSN.

But it was not until being quoted in a USA Today story published last week, in which the threats became more concerning, putting her safety in question.

“Who’s to say those words wouldn’t become action. I felt they were threatening me. I truly did feel that,” she added.

Warshaw said although she stepped down as mayor, she stands by the decisions she made in the role.

“Wearing masks and distancing and trying to limit our crowd size, that is the least we can do for the good of our society. So I don’t regret my vote,” she said.

Warshaw went on to say that she did not hold any animosity toward the community and that she will forever call Dodge City her true home.