#Politician fired from ER job after question about coronavirus and ‘colored population’

An Ohio state senator was fired from his other job as an emergency room doctor after he asked a black health expert if the “colored population” is more likely to contract the coronavirus because of poor hand-washing, according to a report.

Sen. Stephen Huffman was sacked from Tennessee company TeamHealth, which has a chain of hospitals in the state, NBC News reported.

“Dr. Huffman’s comments are wholly inconsistent with our values and commitment to creating a tolerant and diverse workplace,” a company spokesman said in a statement, according to the outlet. “TeamHealth has terminated Dr. Huffman’s employment.”

Huffman made the controversial comments to the Senate Health Committee on Tuesday during a debate over whether racism is a public health crisis.

“Could it just be that African Americans — or the colored population — do not wash their hands as well as other groups? Or wear a mask? Or do not socially distance themselves? Could that be the explanation for the higher incidence?” Huffman asked of why black people have a higher death rate from COVID-19.

Angela Dawson, director of the Ohio Commission on Minority Health — who is black — replied, “That is not the opinion of leading medical experts in this country.”

A shocked state Sen. Tavia Galonski, who is also black, told the outlet, “To me, it seemed like a dog whistle, like he was trying to make it seem like he is against racism but secretly trying to reassure the racists he was with them.”

“And what makes him think black people don’t wash their hands, that they’re more dirty than any other group? This smacks of ‘Let’s blame a pandemic on one group of people so we can “other” African Americans,’” Galonski added.

“Regrettably, I asked a question in an unintentionally awkward way that was perceived as hurtful and was exactly the opposite of what I meant,” Huffman said in a prepared statement, according to NBC News.

“I was trying to focus on why COVID-19 affects people of color at a higher rate since we really do not know the reasons,” Huffman added in an interview with the Washington Post.