MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release: September 3, 2020

Contact Information:

Delegate Barbara Evans Fleischauer, friendsofbarbara@gmail.com; 304-599-7883

Delegate Evan Hansen, ehansen@downstreamstrategies.com; 304-503-4933
Delegate Rodney Pyles, rod.pylz@gmail.com;304-599-6496
Delegate Danielle Walker, dmw6373@icloud.com; 304-702-0647
Delegate John Williams, williams4house@gmail.com; 304-685-7669

MON DELEGATES URGE GOVERNOR TO PUT PUBLIC HEALTH FIRST,

RESIST REQUEST TO EXCLUDE POSITIVE TESTS OF WVU STUDENTS

In a letter sent today to Governor Jim Justice, Mon County Delegates Barbara Evans

Fleischauer, Evan Hansen, Rodney Pyles, John Williams and Danielle Walker, all

D-Monongalia, urged West Virginia Governor Jim Justice to stick with the current system, and

to include positive cases of WVU students among other COVID-19 cases being reported as

having occurred in Monongalia County.

“WVU is not a bubble,” said Delegate Hansen. “None of us want to see Monongalia

County in the red on the state’s color-coded map,” he said, “but it’s not right to change the rules

to get the outcome that some people want to see.”

“We are all concerned about our children and would prefer they were in school,” said

Delegate Walker, “but with so many infections, and so many vulnerable people, we’ve got to

look at the big picture. We can’t put blinders on.”

The five Delegates acknowledged in the letter that many important interests need to be

juggled. Nevertheless, they believe the health of the public should be the paramount concern.

“By excluding positive cases from WVU from the total cases for the county, we would be

putting other needs first. We cannot ignore the fact that we are in the midst of a global pandemic

in which over 850,000 people have lost their lives,” she added.
 “As elected officials of this county,” said Delegate Pyles, “we felt that it was important

for the Governor to hear our voices.” Delegate Williams agreed, stating that many citizens had

urged the Delegates to take action.

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