“Wearing masks is harmful!” one resident wrote to Dart on July 14. “Why are you hell bent on forcing Tulsans to muzzle up?! We are not your serfs or guinea pigs!”

Dart has received threatening calls and emails from residents who “have not been pleased with the recommendations made by the health department,” said Reggie Ivey, the department’s chief operating officer.

Dart filed a police report about the threats, and the department reviewed security protocols, but no arrests were made, a health department spokesperson said.

“Unfortunately, during covid, I think we’ve seen the best of human nature, and we’ve seen the worst of human nature,” Dart said.