A New Jersey nurse says she was punished for speaking out against a doctor who allegedly celebrated the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk \u2014 and now she\u2019s taking the hospital to court.<\/p>\n
The incident
\nThe shockwaves from Charlie Kirk\u2019s assassination are now hitting ordinary people \u2014 and some are paying with their jobs, according to reports.<\/p>\n
The backlash has swept up everyone from teachers and firefighters to journalists, politicians, and even a Secret Service employee.<\/p>\n
Lexi Kuenzle, 33, has been a nurse for a decade, nearly two years of which she\u2019s spent at Englewood Health in New Jersey.<\/p>\n
When news broke on September 10 that Kirk had been fatally shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University, Kuenzle says one of her colleagues, bariatric surgeon Dr. Matthew Jung, openly \u201ccheered\u201d in front of her, eight nurses, and even a patient on a stretcher.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, my God! That\u2019s terrible! I love him!\u201d Kuenzle recalled saying.<\/p>\n
Dr. Jung allegedly fired back: \u201cI hate Charlie Kirk. He had it coming. He deserved it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kuenzle says she immediately confronted him, asking: \u201cYou\u2019re a doctor. How could you say someone deserved to die?\u201d<\/p>\n
She later described his remarks as \u201cmind-blowing\u201d in an interview with the New York Post, adding: \u201cI was so angry and upset.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the lawsuit, Jung then tried to smooth things over by offering to \u201cbuy lunch\u201d for Kuenzle and the other nurses.<\/p>\n
Suspension and fallout
\nKuenzle reported the incident to management and posted about it on social media. But instead of support, she claims she was suspended without pay the very next day \u2014 and told she would likely be fired.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe had the audacity to question how Dr. Jung can comply with the Hippocratic Oath\u2019s and the American Medical Association\u2019s Code of Medical Ethics while celebrating the murder of a non-violent Christian speaker who was on a college campus,\u201d her attorney, John Coyle, wrote in the complaint.<\/p>\n
Coyle\u2019s lawsuit alleges that Englewood Health violated the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, retaliated against Kuenzle for her Christian faith, created a hostile work environment, and violated the Conscientious Employee Protection Act.<\/p>\n
Kuenzle is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages.<\/p>\n
Hospital Responds
\nEnglewood Health confirmed to Fox News that both Kuenzle and Dr. Jung were suspended while the matter is investigated.<\/p>\n
\u201cContrary to certain media reports, the nurse was not fired. Any reported suggestions that the nurse should seek other employment was not an official or accurate statement from Englewood Health,\u201d the hospital said.<\/p>\n
As of Sunday, Dr. Jung\u2019s profile was no longer listed on the hospital\u2019s website.<\/p>\n
A conservative voice
\nKuenzle, an outspoken conservative, often shares pro-Trump content on her Instagram, including photos of herself holding an American flag and a cardboard cutout of the president.<\/p>\n
GOP activist Scott Presler came to her defense online, calling her one of \u201cCharlie\u2019s Angels\u201d and questioning whether Dr. Jung can fairly treat patients who don\u2019t share his politics.<\/p>\n
\u201cWould he treat them differently? Would he allow his emotions to cloud his judgment, as he did by saying such a statement in front of a patient?\u201d Presler asked.<\/p>\n
This case has already drawn strong reactions online, raising questions about workplace ethics, free speech, and whether personal opinions can cost someone their job. Should speaking out against a colleague\u2019s comments be punished, or is this a necessary stand for accountability?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"