Ohio GOP state senator fired from ER doctor job after using racist language..

CLEVELAND, Ohio – State Sen. Steve Huffman, a Dayton-area Republican, has been fired from his position as an emergency room doctor after using racist language to question whether people of color are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus because of poor hygiene.

During a Tuesday hearing on declaring racism a public health crisis, Huffman asked Angela Dawson, executive director of the Ohio Commission on Minority Health, if the “colored population” were more susceptible to coronavirus “because they do not wash their hands as well as other groups.” A statement from TeamHealth, a health professional contractor who employed Huffman as an emergency room physician, said Thursday that Huffman had been fired for his line of questioning during the hearing of the Senate Health Committee.

“Dr. Huffman’s comments are wholly inconsistent with our values and commitment to creating a tolerant and diverse workplace,” said McHenry Lee, a TeamHealth spokesman. “TeamHealth has terminated Dr. Huffman’s employment.”

The word “colored” is almost universally considered offensive. A long-held racist characterization of black people and other minorities as “dirty” has long been used by racists as an example of white superiority.

https://www.cleveland.com/open/2020/06/ohio-gop-state-senator-fired-from-er-doctor-job-after-using-racist-language.html