NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The husband of Tennessee’s former vaccinations director says they are planning to move out of the state this fall amid growing tension over efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
Their move to northern Virginia was in the works before a contentious school board meeting that he took part in Tuesday to discuss mask mandates, Brad Fiscus told WPLN-FM.
Fiscus is a school board member in Williamson County, where protesters held signs with messages saying, “I will not let you muzzle my child,” and “My child, my choice.” Some had to be escorted out by law enforcement. The county is just south of Nashville.
Fiscus said the meeting was another example of why they feel they have to move — that public health has become more political in Tennessee during the pandemic.
His wife, Dr. Michelle Fiscus, was fired this summer amid Republican outrage over her push to inoculate teenagers against Covid-19.
Brad Fiscus said the move is bittersweet because they had planned to stay in their home in Franklin, Tennessee, until retirement. But the move to Virginia will give his wife more opportunities to continue working in public health, he said.
Michelle Fiscus formerly served as medical director for vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization programs at the Tennessee Department of Health. She said the state’s elected leaders put politics over the health of children by firing her for her efforts to get more Tennesseans vaccinated.
A July letter from the state’s chief medical officer said Michelle Fiscus should be removed due to complaints about her leadership approach and her handling of a letter explaining vaccination rights of minors for Covid-19 shots, an effort that had GOP lawmakers fuming. Michelle Fiscus issued a point-by-point rebuttal to the letter.
Fiscus also noted consistent praise for her job performance, including years of performance reviews deeming her work “outstanding,” most recently for October 2019 through September 2020.