He said his wife told him that the mask’s pattern was “more similar to” the state flags of Kentucky or Tennessee. The mask he wore, however, appeared to have more in common with the Confederate battle flag, which is all red and features a blue “X” with white stars inside it drawn across the flag.

Kentucky’s state flag is royal blue with the state seal in the center and “Commonwealth of Kentucky” written above it. The Tennessee state flag is red with a thin strip of blue and white on one end of the flag and a blue circle with three five-pointed stars in the center.

Mr. Zorn, who could not be reached on Sunday, told WLNS that the history of the Confederate battle flag should be taught in schools.

“It’s something we can’t just throw away because it is part of our history,” he said. “And if we want to make sure that the atrocities that happened during that time doesn’t happen again, we should be teaching it. Our kids should know what that flag stands for.”

He said the mask he wore on the Senate floor was not made of “flag material.”

In an interview with the television station, he wore a manufactured mask, saying he switched what he was wearing because “I didn’t want my actions to cause a negative effect to the institution,” alluding to the State Senate.