TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida lawmakers are calling for the state's newly appointed surgeon general to not be confirmed after refusing to wear a mask at the office of a state senator who told him she has a serious medical condition.
The incident occurred at the office of Democratic state Sen. Tina Polsky. She said she recently was diagnosed with breast cancer but had not made it public.
Dr. Joseph Ladapo says he offered to go outside or in a hallway for his scheduled meeting but was ultimately asked to leave. Polsky adds she asked whether there was a reason why he couldn’t wear a mask, which went unanswered at the time.
Now, several lawmakers are calling for Gov. Ron DeSantis to withdraw Ladapo's nomination for surgeon general or for the state Senate to deny his confirmation.
In a letter to DeSantis, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a Democrat running for governor, cited promoting "dangerous" COVID misinformation, a discriminatory emergency rule against Black farmers and the refusal to wear a mask as reasons to withdraw Ladapo's nomination.
“While any single one of these occurrences should have been disqualifying on their own, taken as a whole, they are even more damning and deserving of your immediate withdrawal of your nomination of Dr. Ladapo to serve as Florida Surgeon General," Fried wrote. "Our state’s top public health official should be focused on the safety of all Floridians, not prioritizing personal political posturing and promoting discriminatory and dangerous policies.
"It would not only be a disservice to the state, but detrimental to the well-being of our fellow Floridians to move this nomination forward.”
Palm Beach County Commissioner, Melissa McKinlay also called for Ladapo's nomination to be denied in a Twitter post.
"Appreciate the gesture but... Worth noting it was Surgeon General mtg w @TinaPolsky to garner her vote for his confirmation. She asked if he was vaccinated. He wasn’t. So she asked him to wear mask. He refused. Was condescending. Want to show leadership? Deny his confirmation."
Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book also joined the ranks of those voicing their opposition, saying Ladapo's actions "call into serious question his ability to advise our state on public health policy."
She also questioned the surgeon general's ability to show human compassion.
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The Florida Senate president sent a memo to senators, saying it was disappointing to learn of the incident, and asking visitors to be respectful.
Ladapo has since come to his own defense saying that conversations while wearing masks aren’t productive and that he offered alternatives for them to talk "in good faith."
"I respect all individuals, and I would never knowingly be disrespectful to anyone," Ladapo tweeted.
In a statement to 10 Tampa Bay, the governor's office says DeSantis stands by his decision to nominate Ladapo and is not reconsidering that decision.
"For any public figure, criticism from media, activist groups, and political opponents is an expected part of the job," spokesperson Christina Pushaw said in a statement. "This is especially true for a leader like Governor DeSantis, who is unafraid to challenge establishment narratives. The governor respects everyone’s right to express their own opinions, but he will not allow political attacks or misinformed critiques to distract him from his job leading our state and making policies that improve Floridians’ lives.
"Governor DeSantis appointed Dr. Ladapo as State Surgeon General because he is highly qualified for this important role. The governor stands by this decision and is not reconsidering Dr. Ladapo’s appointment."
Ladapo was appointed to the post of Florida surgeon general by DeSantis in September.
A day into his job, Ladapo signed new rules allowing parents to decide whether their children should quarantine or stay in school after being exposed to people who tested positive for COVID-19.