Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) Commissioner Lance Frye, M.D, resigned in October without any explanation.

Frye began his time at the agency in May 2020 at the height of the Chinese coronavirus pandemic response.

Governor Kevin Stitt said, “With cases and hospitalizations down 60% in recent weeks, Dr. Frye has positioned the Oklahoma State Department of Health well to continue managing COVID effectively and I am grateful for his service to our state during an unprecedented time.”

Current Deputy Commissioner Keith Reed will act as Interim Commissioner of Health while a search is underway, according to Kevin Corbett, Secretary of Health and Mental Health.

Frye’s resignation comes in the wake of a controversial decision to settle a federal lawsuit by agreeing to add “nonbinary” (neither male nor female) to official Oklahoma birth certificates. Stitt and state lawmakers have blasted that agreement.