Days after Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed an Enid anti-mask activist to the Oklahoma State Board of Education, she asked the governor to withdraw his offer.
Stitt had quietly inserted Melissa Crabtree onto the board after booting off former member Kurt Bollenbach last week.
But the blowback was swift. Educators and Democratic lawmakers panned the move in statements and letters to the governor. Crabtree was heavily criticized for her lack of experience in public schools, spreading COVID-19 misinformation online and her leadership in anti-masking activism.
Stitt blamed those loud voices for Crabtree’s request to withdraw.
“I was extremely disappointed to see how many were so quick to judge her without taking the time to personally speak to her,” he said in a written statement. “Ms. Crabtree is a loving mother and wife, and her public school teaching experience and work with special needs children would have been valuable assets to our state. “However, it’s become clear that Democrats and unions only value the voices of teachers when they are willing to fall in line with their political agendas.”
“That being said, I respect her decision and will rescind her nomination. We will reopen the search process and identify a new appointee as soon as possible.”
Crabtree also released a statement: “I am grateful to Governor Stitt for nominating me to serve on the Oklahoma State Board of Education and it is a tremendous honor to be considered. However, after careful consideration, I have determined that this is not the right opportunity for me to serve my state.”
Crabtree shared bevies of misinformation on social media about COVID-19 amid her push to stop a mask mandate. She’s also been a leader of Enid’s Freedom Fighters group, which has long strongly opposed a mask mandate.
In a recent meeting where Enid passed a mask mandate, she spoke up against the idea, saying mandating masks was a bad idea, the Enid News and Eagle reported.
“We know you are not responsible for the deaths of members of our community. … I appeal to your conscience as strong men,” Crabtree told the council. “I ask you to rise to the occasion and stand up to the voices of the liberal news media and bullies in our community.”
Stitt – who has repeatedly said he won’t implement a statewide mask mandate – has said when making political appointments to various boards he hopes people will do what he wants.
“We certainly want our appointees to think the way we do and to encourage all the things that we’re talking about,” he said in November. “So, I assume they would be right in line with where my beliefs are.”
Bollenbach had recently pushed for masking mandates in schools and accreditation sanctions against Epic Charter Schools.
He also supported seeking a legal opinion on discrimination rules surrounding Lindsey Nicole Henry scholarships for private schools.
Stitt had previously removed John Harrington, chairman of the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board, following some of the actions he took trying to hold Epic accountable.
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