Michael Sherwin has been in charge of the largest
criminal investigation in US history
Prosecuting the capital assault
of January 6th
for over 400 criminal cases, which is
pretty amazing number.
I think in a very limited time frame 400
defendants correct 400 fence and the bulk of those
cases are federal criminal charges and significant federal felony
charges five 10, 20 or penalties.
It doesn't change
as you climb the ladder.
They're always going to be people because of what
you look like that will question
your qualifications
would often climbed every rung in the Army
starting at West Point and Rising all the way
to Four Star General
Many Times breaking barriers as the first African-American ever
to hold the job.
I would go someplace with my staff and we
were wearing civilian clothes.
Somebody would come out to meet the need that
General
and I wasn't the guy that they walked up
to.
This is what going back to school looks like
during a pandemic.
The CDC has been studying this school district to
find out how the coronavirus spreads when we first
started this project with the CDC.
I was convinced that we were going to have
more Transmission in Middle and High School classrooms.
Then we had an elementary.
What surprised me is we work through.
This is that it was actually the exact opposite.
I'm Leslie Stahl.
I'm Bill Whitaker.
I'm Anderson Cooper.
I'm John Dickerson.
I'm Scott Pelley
those stories and more tonight
on 60 Minutes.
Until this past Friday
Federal prosecutor Michael Sherwin was leading the largest criminal
investigation in US history
sherwin's team has charged hundreds of suspects
in January's assault on the capital.
Sherwin has said little but Wednesday
before he moved to his next assignment for the
Department of Justice.
He sat down with us
to explain the Nationwide Dragnet that began
after the riot.
As
looking eight nine weeks out from the events or
over 400 criminal cases, which is
pretty amazing number.
I think in a very limited time frame
400 defendants
correct 400 feminists and the bulk of those cases
are federal criminal charges and significant federal felony charges,
five 10, 20 or penalties
of those 400 cases
the majority of those 80
85 percent maybe even 90
you have individuals both inside and outside the capitol
that
Reach the capital trespassed you also have individuals roughly
over a hundred that we've charged with assaulting Federal
officers and local police officers.
The 10% of the cases.
I'll call the more complex conspiracy cases where we
do have evidence.
It's in the public record where individual militia groups
from different facets oathkeepers three percenters proud boys did
have a plan.
We don't know what the full plan is to
come to DC.
Is
and breach the capital in some manner
Michael Sherwin was an eyewitness to that alleged plan
as acting us attorney for the District of Columbia
the top prosecutor.
He dressed that morning in running clothes
and join DC police at the president's rally
and I want us to see the crowd
gauge the temperature of the crowd.
It was like a carnival environment.
People are selling shirts popcorn cotton candy.
I saw hot dogs
as the
morning progressed.
I noticed though.
There were some people that weren't the typical
like carnival-type people.
I noticed there was some people in tactical gear.
They were tacked up with Kevlar vests.
They had the military helmets on
those individuals.
I notice left.
The speech is early.
They headed to the Capitol
and Sherwin walked with them
you could see it was getting more riled up.
And more people with bull horns chanting yelling.
And it became more aggressive.
Where it was initially pro-trump
it digress to anti-government anti-congress
anti institutional.
Then I
eventually saw people climbing the scaffold.
The scaffolding was being set up for the inauguration
when I saw people climbing up the scaffolding hanging
from it hanging Flags.
I was like this is going bad fast
49 year-old.
Michael.
Sherwin is a federal prosecutor from Miami
after successful terrorism and Espionage cases.
The Trump Administration asked him to fill a temporary
vacancy
leading the Washington us attorney's office.
That's how on January 6th
Sherwin found himself launching a 50-state Manhunt
made
Urgent by what was coming in just two weeks
after the six we had inauguration on the 20th.
So I wanted to ensure and our office wants
to ensure that there was shocked and all that
we could charge
as many people as possible
before the 20th
and it worked because we saw through media posts
that people are afraid to come back to DC
because they're like if
Go there were going to get charged
more than 100 arrests were made before the inauguration.
So
the first people we went after I'm going to
call the internet Stars,
right the low-hanging fruit.
The zip tie guy
the rebel flag, I
the camp Auschwitz guy.
We wanted to take out those individuals that essentially
were thumbing their noses at the public for what
they did.
Sherwin told us the most serious cases so far
focus on about
out two dozen members
of far-right malicious.
Was there a premeditated plan
to breach the capital.
That's what we're trying to determine right now.
We've charged multiple conspiracy cases
and some of those involve single militia groups.
Some of them multiple militia groups, for example
individuals from Ohio militia were coordinating with the verb
Virginia militia group of Oath Keepers
talking about coming to the capital region
talking about no specific.
Stop
communication about breaching the capital but talking about going
there taking back the house
talking about stopping the steel
talking about how they need a show of force
in DC.
And we see that in December
at the center of this video
are members of The Oath Keepers in military gear
Michael.
Sherwin says, they're tight
single file formation
is evidence of a military-style assault.
That's what you learn.
In close, you know order combat how you stay
with your team to reach a room where maybe
there's a terrorist to breach a room where maybe
there was an Al Qaeda operative the Infantry calls
it a stack correct a stack or Ranger file
a column a close quarter combat column going up
that staircase The Oath Keepers in that stack.
What have they been charged with most significant charge
is obstruction.
That's a 20-year felony.
They breach the capital with the intent the goal
to obstruct official.
Beatings to count
the Electoral College count
defense attorneys for some oathkeepers declined comment
others told us their clients are innocent.
Prosecutors say 139 police officers were assaulted
Brian sick.
Nick
died the next day
this month Sherwin charged two men with assaulting sick
Nick
with a spray
designed to repel Bears.
The medical examiner has not yet determined.
How officer sick Nick died
if the medical examiner determines
that his death was directly
related to the bear spray,
would you?
Engine murder charges at that point if evidence directly
relates that chemical to his death.
Yeah, we have causation.
We have a link.
Yes in that scenario.
Correct.
That's a murder case.
There could have been many more deaths.
But sure when says
too dangerous plots
failed.
What were the intentions of the suspect who was
found with the eleven Molotov cocktail bombs.
So you're referring Scott salani Kaufman
and I think this is emblematic that that day
is bad as it was could have been a
lot worse.
Worse, it's actually amazing more people weren't killed
we found ammunition in his vehicle.
And also in the bed of the vehicle were
found 11 Molotov cocktails.
They
were filled with gasoline
and styrofoam.
He put Styrofoam in those
according to the ATF because when you throw those
when they explode the styrofoam will stick to you
and act like Napalm
Kaufman's lawyer did not respond to us
in the other plot.
The FBI is looking for this person
scene.
Pipe bombs
that were planted by the capitol,
why didn't they explode
it appears? They weren't armed properly and there could
be a whole host of reasons,
but they were not hoax devices.
They were real devices.
There are many
lesser cases about 140 or so
involving charges such as trespassing
Brent mayor
is a criminal defense attorney who represents one of
the defendants.
What are some of the possible defenses
that you expect to see in these
any cases? So the first one is going to
be a lack of Criminal Intent a person
may have gone into the capital but they didn't
go into the capital intending to
obstruct or to impede or to interfere or to
damage or anything else like that.
I think that's going to be the one most
common defense
mayor's client.
Chris gruyter
is a 39 year old Texas wine maker.
He's wearing a yellow don't tread on me flag.
Why doesn't
And matter
intent is a critical element in almost every single
criminal offense.
Okay, we talked about it in the law the
terms of the mens rea of
the
culpable mental state
the person intending
to do something that is
against the law.
Look your client.
Mr.
Grider was at the head
of the mob
that was attacking
the entrance to the house chamber.
He
appears to give a man a helmet which is
used to smash the
window there
just before Ashley Babbitt
if shot to death,
what is his defense
the images that you see in the video only
tell part of the story and that's the biggest
problem in complaint that we have with the government
when Chris is approaching the door.
He's not
yelling at the police officers.
He's not yelling
kill Pence.
He's not yelling.
Sanity's but look when the man is having trouble
smashing through the door
your client hands him a helmet
at that point.
It was take the helmet and get out of
here, you know, take the helmet.
I need to get out of here.
If Chris wanted
to do damage.
He could have done it his self
writer faces charges including obstruction
destruction of property
and disorderly conduct
though prosecutor Michael Sherwin charged Grider.
He agrees not everyone that day had
Criminal Intent
we have to protect the first amendment
that the great majority of the people there were
protesters
when you cross that line you crossed the line
when you
cross a police line aggressively you throw something in
a cop you hit a cop
you go into a restricted area knowing you're not
supposed to be there.
These are the plus factors that cross that line
from a protester
to a rider has the role of former President
Trump been part of your investigation.
It's unequivocal that
Trump was the magnet that
The people to DC on the sixth
now the question is is he criminally culpable
for everything that happened during The Siege during the
breach
what I can tell you is this based upon
again what we see in the public record
and what we see in public statements in court.
We have plenty of people we have soccer moms
from Ohio that were arrested saying
well I did this because
my president said I had to take back our
house
that moves the needle towards that direction.
Maybe
the president is culpable for those.
Actions, but also you see in the public record
to militia members saying, you know what we did
this because
Trump just talks a big game.
He's just all talk we did what he wouldn't
do
in short you have investigators looking into the president's
role.
We have people looking at everything
correct.
Everything's being looked at
but so far
prosecutors have not charged
sedition
attempting to overthrow the government.
I'm not a
lawyer but the way I read this Edition statute
itself.
Was
that sedition
occurs
when anyone opposes by force
the authority of the United States
or
by force
hinders or delays the execution of any law
of the United States
seems like a very low bar and I wonder
why you're not charging that now,
okay, so I don't think it's a low bar
Scott, but I will tell you this.
I personally believe the evidence
is trending towards that and
probably meets those elements.
Do you anticipate
Pate
sedition charges against some of these suspects
I believe the facts.
Do
support those charges
and I think that as we go forward more
facts will support that Scott.
This is going to be a long-term investigation in
the Biden
Administration asked Michael Sherwin to stay through the transition
now
he plans to return to the Miami us attorney's
office.
What do you want people to understand about this
investigation
that
we try to move quickly to ensure that there
is trust in the rule of law.
You are going to be charged based upon your
conduct in your contact only not what you may
have posted about
the election not what you may have posted about
different political views
the world looks to us
for the rule of law in order and democracy
and
that was shattered.
I think on that day and we have to
build ourselves up.
Again.
The only way to build ourselves up again
is the equal application of the law to show
the rule of law is going to treat these
people
fairly
under the law.
Now
David Martin
on assignment for 60 minutes
more than 70 years after the armed services were
integrated.
It is still a fact of life in the
US military that African-Americans
are more likely to be disciplined and less likely
to be promoted than whites.
Even the most successful black officers routinely feel the
sting of racial bias
while large segments of the rank-and-file believe the system
is stacked against them.
The military has made attempts to deal with inequality
before
but this time it's happening under the eye of
Lloyd Austin
his country's first African American Secretary of Defense
a former soldier
who experienced discrimination firsthand.
It doesn't change
as you climb the ladder
you still
you still get the doubts.
They're always going to be people because of what
you look like that will question
your qualifications
Lloyd Austin climbed every rung in the Army
starting at West Point and Rising all the way
to Four Star General
Many Times breaking barriers as the first African-American ever
to hold the job.
There's probably not a job that I had since
I was a lieutenant colonel.
Well, some people didn't question whether or not I
was qualified to
take that job.
It's the world I live in
in.
I'm sure that the other officers that you talked
to would probably say the same thing.
There's not a day in my life David
when I didn't wake up
and think about the fact that I was a
black man.
A number of the African Americans that we have
talked to
for the story
have said when they are the only one
in the room
they feel as if they're not
being listened to
did you have that experience
absolutely have that experience
and I found ways to operate to adapt
in 1995 as the 82nd Airborne is first African
American operations officer,
then Lieutenant Colonel Austin adapted by having someone else
give his briefings.
Someone he felt white officers were more likely to
listen to
was that a way officer.
It was
did you feel that was?
A conscious bias
people not ready
to listen to you.
It absolutely
was a conscious bias
bias didn't end even when he was a four-star
general.
I would go someplace with my staff and we
were wearing civilian clothes.
Somebody would come out to meet the
meet the general
and I wasn't the guy that they walked up
to
people have a perception that African Americans can't be
in key positions
just because you're African-American he just assumed
That it's always going to be somebody else
General CQ brown rose from fighter pilot to become
the first African American in history to head the
Air Force
which makes him a member of The Joint Chiefs
of Staff.
The last time there was an African-American in this
room
was nearly 30 years ago
when colon Powell was chairman of the Joint Chiefs
Friday is actually a
weapons cache
we met then Lieutenant General Brown nearly six years
ago.
It is Operation Center in the Persian Gulf.
Where he was commanding, the air war against Isis
goes, there we go.
It was all about destroying the enemy
but there was something else going on.
We didn't see
there's a world that I live in
as an African-American and there's a world that I
also live in as a minority
inside the United States Air Force
those two worlds collided one day last May when
a Minneapolis Police Officer pressed his knee into George
Floyd's neck
and the fact just the
How long
he was in the position was in?
Yeah
now nonchalant the cop looked at that actually
mean that that bothers me tremendously
brown felt compelled to send out this message to
his Airmen.
Here's what I'm thinking about.
Think about how full
I am with emotion.
Not just for George Floyd
but the many African Americans have suffered the same
fate as George void with that a lifetime of
frustration came boiling out by thinking about the pressure.
I felt them before Mara free especially for supervisors.
I perceive had expected less from me
as an African-American
I think about having to represent by working twice
as hard
to prove their expectations and perceptions of African Americans
were invalid
was really what I wanted to get off my
chest.
I had no intention for it to
go as big as it did
but I'm glad it did
because I think it helped
generate the conversation and many of us are having
today
about race relations in the United States.
That's what I'm thinking about so far.
The video has been viewed for million times.
with black lives matter protest breaking out across the
country
the Air Force Inspector General conducted a survey on
racial disparity
which produced eye-opening responses
two out of every five African Americans do not
trust their chain of command
to address racism bias and unequal opportunities
three out of every five believe they do not
receive the same benefit of the doubt
as their white peers if they get in trouble,
There were 123 thousand responses
in Just 2 weeks
really an outpouring of emotion from army.
That
I've not seen in the time.
I've been wearing this uniform.
for senior master sergeant, Sapphira Morgan
The survey was long overdue.
I think people were so
just elated to finally have an opportunity to speak
when you hold in things for so long without
being able to express yourself.
And then you're given an Avenue to speak
people ate it up.
The Air Force is now conducting another survey to
include Hispanics and other minorities,
but the hard data from the first survey
is now a matter of record
young black enlisted members.
Almost twice as likely as white enlisted members
to be involuntarily discharged based on misconduct
black are men of all ranks are 57 percent
more likely to face court-martial
as a senior Sergeant Morgan had been seeing numbers
like that for years.
I felt sick
the first time I saw
how many black Airmen
had article fifteens or discharges.
In comparison
to White Airmen
across the Air Force
and the thing that I think hurt the most
was that no one wanted to have the conversation.
Thanks for joining us again.
Last summer that conversation began at Randolph Air Force
Base in Texas
with the program called Real Talk
hosted by Lieutenant General Brad web.
Obviously the Air Force has
fundamentally
had a wake-up call in which black Airman like
chief Master Sergeant Michael Holland
got a chance to speak truth.
Do Air Force Power this is
brave for us to address these teams.
You should too
General Webb.
This is brave.
Third.
You mean it takes courage to talk about racism,
you know in America period
but really
in
the Air Force where
white male dominated
there's these Unwritten rules.
He told web black airmen have to abide by
Unwritten rules, which don't apply to their white counterparts.
What are some of the unwritten rules
like change your posture.
When you walk into the room
change your posture.
Yeah, so
I'm 511
220 pounds
of black big guy is scary and threatening.
So you
strip those things away from you to make people
feel comfortable with you.
What are some of the other things you have
to strip
voice
right voice.
You don't want to be loud
and the other Unwritten rules.
Yeah.
You got to be better
for Lieutenant General Webb.
The sessions were a revelation.
Did you hear things that surprised you?
Yeah, I mean
any number of things
for example
the African-American Community
inside the Air Force
is dealing
with an extra load
that
the white Caucasian Community does not deal with
it might be intimidating.
By the way.
I talk
and might be intimidating.
By the way.
I sit
there's a mental checklist that has to occur here
that I have was never oriented to ever in
my air force career.
Lots of great comments out there on social.
Edia episodes of real talk including the one with
Sergeant Sapphira Morgan
were streamed live on Facebook and it was up
there for all to see
what was the reaction
negative and positive.
I've had countless people say I never knew
but I've also had some black people say
why are we exposing some of the things that
we deal with two people who may not care?
Everybody's not for this
it's hard to accept but that's
just
No, truth
the people who are not for this.
What do they say?
Nothing?
All right,
and that's what makes it difficult.
You know, you don't you don't know what their
biases are.
All right.
Have you ever encountered
a real racist down here for
absolutely.
Yeah
had a supervisor.
You know,
who told me.
I'll never succeed on him.
The best thing I could do was survive while
he was there and stay away from
yeah
what you do
stay away from him.
This racial disparity the Facebook sessions were not webs
first time in the hot seat.
He was the busiest man in the White House
Situation Room on the night of the bin Laden
raid.
After 37 years in the Air Force.
He's now in charge of Education and Training.
Before
George void and the events of last summer.
How had
the Air Force
dealt with race
we had training sessions, you know, that was principally
PowerPoint
slide oriented
and
it was very formalized
it have any impact on you
marginal.
I mean, I have to be honest
African-Americans represents 17% of all the active duty troops.
In the military
but only 8% of the officers
and then key jobs like Air Force pilots.
It's worse
the top General CQ Brown knows that firsthand from
his flying days in the 1990s.
What was the percentage of
black Pilots
back then
2%
What is it today? It is still two percent.
What does that say?
We haven't made much progress.
Retired Admiral Mike Mullen chairman of the Joint Chiefs
during the bush and Obama administrations
set out to change the nearly all white complexion
of the senior ranks.
Was it racial bias?
I don't think it was a conscious bias, but
I think it was
an Institutional bias if you will.
So, what is the institutional bias?
I have a phrase I use
called Ducks pick ducks
and when you have white guys picking
they pick other
white guys
that to me
is the bias and that's what the leadership
has to break up to make sure that
we're not in that kind of a situation
Mullen met then Lieutenant General Lloyd Austin in Iraq,
and in 2009
brought him to Washington as the first African-American director
of the Chairman's powerful joint staff
a said, you know, I really want to diversify
my staff and he knew that Talent was out
there,
but he knew that if he didn't lead the
organization to
To
to identify that town and bring that towel on
board.
It wouldn't happen.
There's that picture of you standing with the
African American
generals and Admirals on your
your staff.
I mean General Austin came into my office and
said
I want you to come down to the Joint
staff room for a minute
and I walked into that room and they were
all standing there and the photographer was ready to
go and I said I asked him I said,
what's
what's this all about
and one of them said it's about
tree
turns out it was only a moment in history
11 years later.
These are the people who fill the top positions
on the joint staff.
If you looked at the
website of the
joint staff lately, I have
top 25
No, African-Americans,
I suspect that will change in the near term.
It's been
what more than 70 years since the armed forces
were integrated.
Why do you think it's taken this long?
I think
things have moved slowly
in America David.
I think the military in a lot of ways
has led the way for
for diversity.
But you know as well as I do that
you look at our senior leadership right now.
It's not representative of what's in the ranks.
What?
Your job can you personally do
to make a change?
I'm
the guy that makes the recommendation to the president
on who are senior flag officers ought to be
going forward
an F-22 pilot on why he felt discriminated against
in the Air Force
big
black with a deep voice.
You're intimidating at 60 Minutes over time.com.
At least a quarter of American students are believed
to have not spent a single day in school
in more than a year because of the pandemic
many others are only in classrooms now and then
it's taking a psychological toll
on children and parents
President Biden told the nation that it may have
said back an entire generation of students by a
year or more
everyone wants kids to return to school.
But how do you do that?
Safely,
we thought we might find some answers by visiting
one of the first school districts in the country
to work with researchers from the Centers for Disease
Control and prevention
on a study designed to understand how coronavirus spreads
within school buildings schools in Marietta, Georgia State opened
through some of the highest periods of infection in
the community, but it hasn't been easy.
It's required money constant vigilance and for those in
charge.
comfort with uncertainty
I never know what tomorrow is going to bring
times or am I going for a walk by
myself?
I actually try to remember what I used to
do.
Good morning.
Good to see you.
You Grant Rivera is the superintendent of Marietta City
schools
overseeing 12 schools
almost 9,000 kids and plenty of concerned parents.
There have been decisions that I've made
throughout this pandemic where I definitely
have ever have angered some people
and there have been some people that had told
me they would legally challenge it there have been
some people that told me I didn't know how
to do my job
Rivera thought he was doing his job when he
delayed opening schools.
Last August
teachers were worried about their health and covid
Facilities were backlogged
making it hard to quickly identify those infected
but 300 parents signed a public letter disagreeing with
his decision
and some went a step further.
I already took out an ad in the paper.
Yeah.
Yeah and
wait.
No, what is that? Like
and my heart sinks as you asked me that
question.
Why
because
we made a decision that was based on what
we felt was aligned to the science
and the data and it's real simple, right? We
couldn't test
so we could have people in the
being
and have no clue whether they should be there
or not
by September testing capability had improved
and Marietta City schools started reopening
in person instruction has been available for days a
week at all grade levels since early November
the district has spent more than seven and a
half million dollars retrofitting itself for the pandemic.
Most of the money came from the federal government.
Well, good morning boys and girls
at Westside Elementary School partition separate the desks
in class.
Everyone must wear a mask
some students
attend virtually.
Facilities are constantly being cleaned and ventilation systems have
been upgraded
even returned library books must sit in quarantine before
going back on the shelves
students who ride buses carry radio frequency identification tags
so that if one tests positive the school district
can contact families of those who sat close by
we've had situations where we've had 60 close contacts
for one positive case.
So we have an entire team
In three different languages
who are available on a moment's notice and literally
we pull the seating charts.
We pull the rosters
and we immediately start notifying families
students who might have been exposed to the virus
must quarantine for 7 to 10 days
disrupting their lives and their families all over again
so I can call you at ten o'clock tonight
tell you that your child was sitting within six
feet of another child who tested positive
and you may not be able to go to
work tomorrow and you may not have childcare
these procedures have been tailored.
I'd through close consultation with CDC researchers
who spent two months mapping positive cases in the
Marietta School District to determine how the coronavirus spreads
through schools.
When we first started this project with the CDC.
I was convinced that we were going to have
more Transmission in Middle and High School classrooms.
Then we had an elementary.
What surprised me is we work through.
This is that it was actually the exact opposite
that we were seeing more potential transmission in an
Elementary classroom then
We're in a
middle and high school classrooms.
And what was the ultimate reason for that?
Well, so think about the Dynamics and an Elementary
classroom.
You've got a child that walks in that stays
in that classroom.
Seven hours eight hours.
Those kids are mixing and Milling.
They may go to the rug.
They may go to small group.
And I think that's where we figured out.
Wait a minute.
We got to re-engineer our Elementary classrooms
because this data is compelling.
Hey,
Kindergarten teacher Sarah pulley used to huddle with her
class on the rug for reading time.
Now she teaches from the front of the class
and limits small group time and close interactions.
Any student in Marietta can choose to learn online
in the elementary schools.
Most kids are back in class.
But over at the high school
most still attend by Zoom
researchers believe that may explain some of the reduced
risk in the high school.
But it also makes it harder for teachers like
Andy Cole
who calls students at home his Zumiez and those
in class his room.
He's
the me question
rummies
questions
and what are the challenges of trying to teach
when you got room? He's in Zoomies.
I always worried that I'm leaving them out
because your backs to them or because it's
inert and it's on a screen,
you know, sometimes it's just
you know,
the human being in front of you.
Definitely takes a lot of your attention
and with these guys
I do get concerned that
you know,
they're going to forget school.
Yeah, at least how that structure of school and
those shared experiences
some students in Marietta told us they liked virtual
education.
There's no commute the health risk is lower.
But for others, it's been a disaster
Richard Rowe was getting A's and B's before the
pandemic when instruction when virtual he says,
He started getting seasoned.
He's
I felt really helpless
because I really couldn't do anything.
I am
also felt
scared because I didn't really want to go to
my teachers.
I
didn't really go to my parents as well
because
when I didn't want
I didn't want them to be disappointed in me.
Did you
have an idea where why that was happening?
I have
ADD,
so I have a hard time paying attention.
And so what was it like you came back?
It felt
good.
If oh really good to get out of the
house
for a really good see my friends again.
His grades have gone up again to
he was recently named student of the month.
Do you think it would have changed your life
forever?
If you'd had to stay home and and learn
virtually?
Yeah.
What do you think? The ultimate result would have
been for you?
I don't know.
I really don't.
Like thinking about that
too.
Scary.
Yes
way too scary for me
what's been scary for the teachers is the disease
itself
the local Educators Union organized protests in the school
district bordering Marietta.
After three teachers died there
from complications of covid-19.
The CDC researchers tracking Marietta elementary schools found that
approximately one half of the school-based cases.
They identified seem to begin with educator to educator.
Mission and then spread to students.
We had two clusters of cases that originated with
adults
in our elementary schools that accounted for half of
all the positive school-based transmission cases.
You show me a vaccine in each of those
arms and I'll show you two clusters
that didn't exist in kids who didn't lose
lose school because of it
not going to look Educators in Marietta started getting
their shots a week and a half ago,
but many here and throughout the country are still
not fully vaccinated
the
He continues to call for social distancing and mask
wearing
yet schools in nearly two-thirds of Georgia counties don't
require masks
and social distancing is often hard because of class
size and the way that teachers like Shawn Ray
Brooks tried to establish a connection with their students
and they have to know that you're going to
be willing to interact with them.
We willing to listen to them not be upset
when they are
confused.
You want to put your hands out I guess.
It's what I'm saying and say come towards me
more so than just
hands.
So this is more than about just six feet
away from each other.
This is right at the heart of your ability
to teach and for their ability to learn it
is
for 15 years.
Shawn Ray Brooks has taught English in the Emanuel
County School District, which does not require masks
in early August after receiving a negative covid test.
She went to work at Swainsboro middle school and
got covid after barely a week of teaching.
Nearly 40 days.
She lay unconscious on a ventilator fighting for her
life
while her family tried to comfort her over FaceTime.
I know you probably can't hear me understand what
I love you.
It's a little scary.
It's a little
heartbreaking.
Yeah,
after months of physical therapy.
She still having a lot of health problems.
She doesn't know if she'll ever be able to
teach again
after you were sick.
Was there any change in the school policy about
masks or anything
not
That I'm aware of
does that strike you as strange
where they're probably
moments when I wondered.
About that.
Sure
Brooke says she doesn't blame you School District.
The superintendent of a manual County Schools did not
respond to our request for comment
some school districts don't require masks.
What do you think of that?
You know, I respect their decision.
I just choose to lead differently in Marietta.
That was very diplomatic
try because you disagree because you disagree with that
choice.
Okay.
I'll be honest with you.
I think that some people have left the decision
regarding Mass to be political.
This is not political.
This is about what safe enough to open
Schoolhouse doors.
But once you open those doors the desire to
return to normal poles at the mask strings
cheerleaders want to cheer
High School band wants to play
kids want to laugh with their friends at lunch.
No set of decisions illustrates the push and pull
of reopening more than the ones superintendent Rivera has
faced around in.
We're Athletics
though.
He ended the season early for the freshman and
JV.
Rivera says he allowed Varsity Sports to continue because
he knew how important college scholarships are for some
students
but sports did cause problems at the high school
as we did this study with the CDC.
We had 17 cases in a two-month period
that we could link to school-based transmission.
Of those 17
15 were related to Athletics that feels like a
red light going off.
It is a red light
and I think that's why
we made some modifications to Athletics.
Did I swing the pendulum far enough? It probably
depends on who you ask ask the kid who
got a full ride
we did.
Okay,
ask the family who got quarantine multiple times.
Maybe we did
do they have to wear masks when they're indoors
playing
sports.
They do not it is not a requirement.
Now, why is that because you got
have to do it in the class?
Yeah.
So we quite frankly
as I sit here
at the end of winter sports season and I
now have the data that we have from the
CDC
what I make a different decision.
Maybe it's how does it feel to basically
have that ball hanging in the air
that
you made a choice
and that
things might go south.
So it depends on when you asked me right
so I can sit here with you now and
say that
we've had no students Dino staff died
because of athletic indoor Athletics.
It's
and
and maybe we've been lucky
maybe we've been safer.
I
am trying to understand that
those 60% of Marietta students qualify for free or
reduced meals.
The school district has a strong tax base
healthy budgets and modern facilities
implementing safety measures may be a lot harder in
less.
Well funded school districts.
Thank you for being
the one point nine trillion dollar covid relief package
that president.
Consigned
includes 126 billion for K through 12 schools
20% of that money has been earmarked to help
the tens of millions of students who were believed
to have fallen behind because of the pandemic
we will have children who will carry trauma
and learning loss.
I believe for their entire educational,
you know trajectory
and I think
that's what's so important.
Like, how are we amidst the exhaustion that our
Educators feel
like how are we going to proactively respond to
that?
That
we've got to close
this covid Gap because if you don't close it,
it gets bigger over time.
Yeah exponentially bigger.
in March, 20 20 just a year ago
newspapers broadcasters politicians and the authors of buzzword Laden
corporate memos
adopted the cliche The New Normal
all the awkward little in Humanities of pandemic life
would become
The New Normal
masks working and learning in isolation
empty streets
abandoned restaurants
the inability to hug a relative
all were The New Normal
You don't hear that phrase much anymore.
We know better
we continue to observe all the protocols and progress
towards vaccinated immunity,
but there's been nothing normal
about the past year
new
or otherwise,
I'm John Dickerson will be back next week with
another edition of 60 minutes.