“Jenks Public Schools acknowledges and accepts this criticism. There were too many high school students without masks and too many high school students in close contact with one another,” Jenks Public Schools wrote in a Facebook post. “This is not the kind of safe environment JPS seeks to create for students and staff members.”
The post continued, “JPS understands the importance of social distancing and masks. At future secondary events, Jenks Public Schools pledges to do more to maintain stricter safety protocols. The lack of safety protocols at the state championship game was not up to the standard that is expected. Jenks Public Schools and Jenks High School sincerely apologizes for this mistake.”
The apology issued on Sunday comes a day after the school’s Facebook page showed a photo of students and athletes celebrating a recent victory, seemingly oblivious to mitigation efforts against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The post on Saturday featured four pictures showing players, coaches, staff, cheerleaders and students crowded together on the field and in the stands, with very few masks in sight.
After posting the photo on Saturday, the school faced harsh backlash, with many members of the community criticizing the school for allowing the celebration to go on amid rising cases, deaths and hospitalizations related to COVID-19.
“Incredibly selfish,” one Facebook user wrote, while another comment read, “Their healthcare workers are overwhelmed, exhausted and some dying, but let’s fill the stadium for a super-spreader game! Selfless idiots.”
“Super spreader event?” Another commenter asked.
While speaking to the Daily Beast, Elise Ramsey, a 22-year-old alum of Jenks High School and a current student at the University of Tulsa, said, “Health professionals have been publicly begging the community to do whatever we can to slow spread for several weeks now,” adding that she was “horrified” by the post.
Jenks Public Schools directed Newsweek to the apology issued on Sunday and said it had no further comment at this time.
According to the health department of Tulsa County, where Jenks is located, there are currently more than 36,000 confirmed COVID cases, as well as at least 289 deaths, in the county. Oklahoma does not have a statewide mask mandate in place, but several counties, including Tulsa, have imposed citywide mask mandates amid the ongoing pandemic.
Newsweek reached out to the health department for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
COVID cases and deaths have continued to increase across Oklahoma. Data from the state’s health department shows more than 218,000 confirmed cases and at least 1,911 deaths.
