CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Sen. Mike Romano, D-Harrison, is defending himself and two other legislators after a private letter to Gov. Jim Justice went public earlier this week.
Romano joined Sens. Richard Lindsay, D-Kanawha, and John Unger, D-Berkeley, in the letter to the governor, noting concerns they have received about the state’s school re-entry plan.
The legislators told Justice they reached out to educators about the new school year, with teachers noting some staff refusing to follow safety guidelines, nonexistent training and threats from school administrators about speaking out about school conditions.
When asked about the letter during Wednesday’s coronavirus briefing, Justice dismissed the letter as “political.”
Romano, appearing on Thursday’s “MetroNews Talkline,” said the letter was an attempt to share concerns with Justice in a private manner.
“I know there has been some back-and-forth between the governor and the teachers association presidents about what teachers are saying and what they’re not,” he said. “We were just trying to give him our unbiased view of what teachers are saying so that he could properly address it.”
Romano added the letter was not an attack on Justice’s actions, but rather an invitation to communicate and confront issues.
“It’s one thing when you’re running for office. It’s another thing when you’re in office,” he said. “You’re supposed to work together for the betterment of our state and not always make everything a fight. I’m really shocked and surprised to the whole response to this thing.”
Justice and state officials will discuss the statewide response to the coronavirus on Friday during a briefing scheduled for 12:30 p.m.