Barbot Backlash: Criticism Mounts Over De Blasio's Decision To Switch Health Commissioner Mid-Pandemic
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - There's intense backlash Wednesday over Mayor Bill de Blasio's stunning decision to switch health commissioners mid-pandemic – and a parting "kick" from the former commissioner herself.
As CBS2's political reporter Marcia Kramer reports, she got the boot, and now she's using hers to stand up to the guy who kicked her out.
Departing Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot tweeting "Only fitting that my last day as @NYCHealthCommr ends … with my kickin boots on."
Many are "kickin'" Mayor de Blasio for getting rid of his health commissioner in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic – pointing out that even President Donald Trump didn't get rid of Dr. Anthony Fauci when he squabbled with him.
"It's sad that it happens here in our own city where the fight is so challenging. But it deeply disturbs me," said City Council Health Committee Chair Mark Levine.
Councilwoman Carlina Rivera slamming the mayor for a double standard – treating Dr. Barbot, a woman of color, a whole lot differently than Police Commissioner Dermot Shea.
"I'm disappointed that women in leadership like Dr. Barbot are pushed out after speaking their mind while people like the NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea, who has publicly clashed with the mayor, remains in his position without even the slightest critique from his boss," Rivera said.
She's right. It was only a few weeks ago that the police commissioner's blue blood boiled over after the mayor signed a controversial City Council Bill banning chokeholds. He called lawmakers, and by extension the guy who signed the bill, "literally cowards who won't stand up for what's right."
Asked about the double standard, the mayor again defended Shea.
"When it's something that I understand he thinks is important to talk about publicly, he and I talk about it first and we come to an agreement on the right way to address things," de Blasio said.
In contrast, Dr. Barbot didn't publicly challenge the mayor, but privately, the two differed over when to close schools and businesses and about how to reopen schools.
When asked specifically what she did wrong, this was the best the mayor had: "I need a series of things to happen a certain way for where we are now and where we're going."
In terms of the pandemic, there certainly are a lot of challenges down the road, including a possible resurgence of the virus and the reopening of schools.
CBS2 tried but were unable to reach Dr. Barbot for an interview.
