An employee at a New York medical institution has been fired after making several anti-Trump Facebook posts, including saying Trump supporters who are COVID-19 positive should “give up their ventilators and not go to the hospital.”
Laura Krolczyk was fired from her job as vice president of external affairs at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo over the weekend after the hospital investigated her private Facebook posts and concluded that her behavior is not appropriate and “not tolerated at Roswell Park,” reported WGRZ.
“This employee was terminated today after our Human Resources team concluded its investigation. We followed standard procedure, which required that we gather and verify relevant information before taking any disciplinary action,” Roswell Park said in a statement on Saturday. “We have always been and continue to be a center serving everyone who needs us. That is core to our mission, our culture and the experience our patients and families can expect every day. This behavior is not tolerated at Roswell Park. If any team members act in a way that does not accord with that commitment, we will take swift and appropriate action, just as we did in this instance.”
Krolczyk’s termination comes after conservative commentator Michael Caputo posted screenshots of a conversation between Krolczyk and another top official at another hospital, Lisa LaTrovato.
According to screenshots posted by Caputo, the exchange between Krolczyk and LaTrovato, a director at Hauptman Woodward Medical Research Institute, began when Krolczyk shared an article by The Hill that said the Trump administration hesitated when told by General Motors it would cost $1 billion to produce 80,000 ventilators.
Krolczyk commented on her shared article with: “Vote Trump.”
“But will waste more than that, on a wall and space force,” LaTrovato replied.
Krolczyk responded, “Trump supporters need to pledge to give up their ventilators for someone else … and not go to the hospital.”
LaTrovato then wrote, “I think they should be the only ones in packed churches on Sunday.”
“They should barricade themselves in there and ride this out,” Krolczyk replied, followed by LaTrovato writing “Yup.”
Later, another Facebook user commented, writing, “Wow, just wow, so your saying we decide who lives and dies based on political views? Great plan.”
“That’s literally what he’s saying. Take your ‘wow’ and comprehend what your hero is saying. Your hero is saying YOU don’t need a ventilator. So don’t take one,” Krolczyk replied.
She then added, “Also don’t cash your stimulus check. It’s all a hoax. Chew some ibuprofen and be on with your day.”
LaTrovato has since been placed on administrative leave while Hauptman Woodward conducts an internal review, the hospital said. Krolczyk was also initially placed on leave, but was later fired after Roswell Park completed its investigation.
