Nurse Lexi Kuenzle was suspended without pay for calling out a doctor who said Charlie Kirk deserved to die. Lexi joins Glenn Beck to tell her story, which thankfully has a good ending.
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: I want to introduce you to Lexi Kuenzle. She's an amazing woman. She was in front of a nurse's station. She is a nurse.
There were eight nurses there. And a patient. And the doctor walks up. And they're talking about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, that day.
And he said, oh, I hate Charlie Kirk. He had it coming. He deserved it.
Now, Lexi, she's a registered nurse. She was the only one that spoke up. She said, "You're a doctor. How could you say somebody deserved to die?"
She said that you could hear a pin drop. Nobody said anything, even the patient was just kind of like, "Hmm. I don't know what to say."
She reports the incident to management. Then she gets home. She posts about this and the doctor on her private Instagram.
And just about an hour later, she gets a -- a phone call from her union representative, saying, she needs to look for another job. And then she was pulled into a meeting at the hospital, and she was suspended without pay, pending an investigation.
Now, she does not want to come out and talk about the hospital or, you know, by name or the doctor or anything else by name.
And I highly recommend that, as well. Because she's already having to spend a lot of her own money, I'm sure, on litigation.
And just trying to keep her head above water. But she's been a nurse, trained at a Catholic university of America. You've been a nurse for ten years. And she joins us now.
Lexi, thank you for your courage.
LEXI: Thank you, Glenn. Thank you for having me.
This is -- this is amazing. To be able to have this platform right now.
GLENN: So tell me the story -- I mean, beyond what we just heard. What was the -- was the patient checking out on -- you know, a wheelchair. Why is the patient at the nurse's station? And how did this come back? Was this that patient's doctor?
LEXI: So I don't even know.
I actually didn't even who know this doctor was. I had never even seen him, nor did I know his name. I didn't even know he was a doctor.
And this was in an endoscopy area. So the patient had just come out from a procedure. And they were -- it's a very -- it's an interesting setup. So there's stretchers all along. You have the nurses taking care. There's no rooms. So the nurse's station is directly in front of a lineup of stretchers with patients on them.
GLENN: So when you heard this, I mean, because this is what we went through with COVID. Where doctors were actually saying, you know, if you don't have the vaccine, I'm not going to treat you. All of a sudden, if you don't agree with the vaccine, I'm not going to treat you. You deserve to die.
LEXI: Yes.
GLENN: This is so far away from the Hippocratic oath. Which I don't even know, did they have to take that oath anymore? Because it doesn't seem like it even exists.
LEXI: Yes. Nurses. We have it too.
There's a set of standards, we're obligated to. Stand by. I dealt with it, in COVID, as well as a nurse.
I refused to get that vaccine. I didn't feel comfortable.
I didn't want it. And I had to -- you know, I was sitting there, for months, waiting for my termination letter. You know, I said, well, what is going to happen if I don't get this vaccine?
And they said, you'll be terminated. I said, okay. I'll wait for my letter.
And on that take, it was in October, I remember. I waited and waited for this letter to be fired. And, you know, I get a call like, oh, well, you know, you can apply for a religious exemption.
And I'm like, "What do you mean? I had never even heard of this before. And why are you telling me now, after making me sit there for so long, thinking I'm going to be fired?"
It was like they were coercing me to get this vaccine.
GLENN: So when you saw him say that. It must have been a rush, back to that kind of time.
LEXI: Exactly. I mean, exactly. I didn't even think twice about what was coming out of my mouth. I just couldn't believe it. I just -- you're a doctor! You're a doctor. You're a physician. I mean, what if a patient comes into the hospital, and, you know, they're wearing, you know, a Charlie Kirk shirt or any type of shirt that the doctor does not agree with? You know, now we raise the question, is this patient going to be treated the same?
GLENN: I have to tell you, I've had to go to the hospital, et cetera. In New York City.
And I've had that very thought, because, you know, I don't -- what am I wearing a T-shirt of me?
You know, it's pretty obvious who I am. And I thought of that.
And I often think of what Reagan said, after he was shot. He's on the table. He's almost dead. I mean, they almost killed him. He's on the table, and right as they're putting him under, he says, "Hang on just a second. I'm assuming all of you are Republicans." And the Democrat said -- the doctor -- the main doctor said, "Sir, we are ail Republicans today."
That is the way we should be. I'm not asking you to -- I'm just asking, will you treat me like a human being, or because you politically differ from me, am I less than a human being? Am I less of an important patient to you because of my political stance?
LEXI: Exactly. This is way beyond politics. This is just -- unbelievable.
I mean, you should not be treated differently. Because of any of -- any type of view that you have.
GLENN: So can you tell me what happened without getting into names. What happened to you. And then what happened to the doctor.
And where does this all stand?
LEXI: So, you know, as you all know, I was pulled into that -- well, I'll back it up to when I posted this on my private Instagram.
I went home. I posted it. I got a call from my manager, who was wonderful, by the way.
She said, "You know what, you've got to take the Englewood part down." I said, "That's -- I'm standing on what I posted, but I will certainly take the hospital's name out of it."
So an hour later I took that down. And reposted without Englewood's name on it. And then the next day, I get pulled into the meeting.
And I gave them my story about what happened. At the end of that meeting, they told me, I was suspended without pay. And they told me that it was really just standard procedure. And they just need to look into it.
It didn't seem too serious at that point. I felt okay leaving the hospital. Like, I don't really know what's going to happen. But they told me to just relax. And this is just standard.
I said, okay.
GLENN: Did they do that to the doctor?
LEXI: So I did ask that at the end of the meeting, as well. I said, "So is he getting the same treatment as I am?" And they told me, "We can't speak on it."
So no. I mean, I don't know really anything that went down on his part.
GLENN: Okay.
LEXI: The next day, I get an email from my Union rep, who was in the meeting with me as well. And, you know, it's -- it's public. You can read it for yourself. It says, you should start looking for another job.
So that to me is like, okay. So is this person -- did she get a little tip to the hospital, that this is how it's going to go? Because this is unacceptable. I mean, this person is supposed to be on my side. And I don't even know, how this is helping me at any point, to just tell me, to look for another job.
GLENN: Yep.
And you wonder too, because it's a union.
You wonder if that union, like the teachers union is on your side. Or they're actually for, you know, freedom of speech for everybody.
And neutral or if they have a political bent to them.
I would imagine. That's what I would think.
LEXI: Exactly. Exactly. That's exactly what I thought.
I mean, I'm not stupid.
GLENN: Yeah. Yeah.
Do you -- do you know what happened to the doctor since?
Because I've heard the doctor doesn't have a job now, and you do have a job at the hospital.
LEXI: Yes. So they offered me -- they said, you know, we'll lift the suspension. And that doctor has resigned.
And that's really all that I know.
GLENN: Okay. Well, that's at least somewhat of a happy ending to this.
I -- I am so proud of you. And so pleased to be able to say, good job.
I mean, that took real guts. I mean, you already -- you already did your first tour of duty, on COVID.
And now you do a second. Was it easier to do it the second time, or harder?
LEXI: I have to say, I think this one was definitely harder.
You know, it's -- it blew up, overnight. And it became very public. And it makes you think, you know, had this not been so public, maybe today, I -- I wouldn't have a job as a nurse.
GLENN: How are things going with you, now at work? Is it back to normal?
LEXI: I haven't off and on back yet. My first shift back will be on Monday. So, you know, I've had some really good people in my corner. I've had Julie O'Malley reach out to me, she's a professional whistle-blower. And I've had Nurses Out Loud contact me. And they've given me some really good advice. I also have the support of so many coworkers which has been amazing. Obviously, I'm very, very anxious to go back to work.
But I have to go and lift my head up and stand on my belief and my faith. And I've gotten a message from one of the security guards, actually. Was very nice.
He said, you know, thank you for speaking out, just know that you have -- the staff here is on your side 100 percent.
So I guess we'll see, you know. We'll see, going back, how it is.
GLENN: Well, I hope that, you know, the hospital is -- continues to be behind you. And there's no ramifications. And that everybody welcomes you with open arms.
I cannot imagine how it couldn't. You cannot have doctors or nurses saying things like that, and -- and -- and feeling that way. I mean, if you feel that way. You feel that way, I guess. But I expect you to be professional enough not to say those things, you know, at work. In front of patients and in front of the nurses.
You cannot spread that kind of poison. Your job is to save lives, and to look at everyone equally.
And say, I don't care who they are. What they believe. That's a human being. It's my job to save them.
And you just can't have that kind of poison, you know, with somebody that we trust, to take care of us.
LEXI: Exactly.
I mean, everyone knows. That's what they teach you in nursing school. You treat everybody the same.
I mean, I've had patients who have been in driving accidents, who have, you know, harmed other people. And you have -- and you treat that patient, as if it was any other person.
You cannot let beliefs or thoughts of any type of discrimination get in the way of treating the patient.
That's really what this is about. Is treating everybody the same and with respect.
GLENN: Lexi, it's an honor to talk to you. Thank you so much for being on the program. I appreciate it. And you call us. If there's a problem, you call us, okay?
LEXI: I will. Thank you so much.
GLENN: All right. Thank you, Lexi Kuenzle.
By the way, she was raising. A friend, actually started to raise money. $500 is what she wanted, because she had to file all the paperwork and everything else. I know she has expenses. And they've already covered that.
And when they hit $500, she was like, I want the rest of it to go to TP USA. Anything raised above it.
And I think they were at $2,500. I looked last night. $2,500.
They have a goal of $4,500. That's easy for this audience to help out.
If you're a nurse or doctor. Or you just believe in this, reward her for her courage. She's not going to take the money. It's going to TP USA. Send her the message. If you will give to TP USA. This might be a good way. Go to GoFundMe.com. Nurses for TP USA. Nurses for TP USA.