Lofton’s Return Sparks Controversy

The Mayor of Marlin has been under scrutiny over the past week, due to a responsibility she was tasked with outside of the Falls County community.

On March 27, Mayor Carolyn Lofton released a statement on her official Facebook page explaining that she would be leaving the area amidst the coronavirus outbreak due to unforeseen personal circumstances relating to the Public Health Emergency. 

“As I prepare to make this unavoidable trip to Maryland to retrieve my daughter's belongings,” said the mother of five. “I ask for your prayers that God's protection will follow us there and back.”

Lofton’s college-aged daughter was forced to move out of her university dorm room due the national school closings surrounding COVID-19. 

She detailed that instead of flying, she would be driving to Maryland to minimize the overall risk and named some of the precautions she would be taking. 

“I have packed my war bag with sanitizer, gloves, masks, shoe coverings, Lysol spray, and Lysol wipes,” the statement said.

While she was gone, community input went rampant. Naysayers questioned if the social worker would be taking the above named precautions and if she would be self-isolating upon return, while some speculators went as far as to suggest that the mother of five should not have left to help her flesh and blood.

Upon returning, Lofton released another statement in order to address the community’s voiced concerns.

“First and foremost, what I am willing to do to protect my children is not debatable,” she began. “so I will not be engaging in nonsensical dialogues about this subject.”

Lofton explained every precaution that was taken on her trip, as a way to be fully transparent with the community. 

“ No one touched a door without a Lysol wipe or glove,” she continued. “We occasionally sprayed ourselves and the inside of the vehicle with Lysol just in case.”

Along with these, the only public interactions were among the travelling party and drive through cashiers. 

Lofton also acknowledged that even though she had not addressed the subject of quarantine, she assumed it would be understood.

“My home was prepared for quarantine upon return,” she stated. “I have sufficient supplies so that we do not have to leave as I knew and understood, from instruction to all of you, that we would need to do the same upon our return.”

The family also notified Falls Community Hospital and Clinic upon their return, as well as Lofton made the appropriate arrangements with the City of Marlin before leaving.

Mayor Pro-tem Scottie Henderson has been on call to handle any emergency-related needs.