E-Paper
Melinda Cook fired? VCU Health issues statement as employee's bizarre appeal to poison ICE agents sparks uproar
VCU Health has fired nurse Melinda Cook after her TikTok videos, which suggested sabotaging ICE agents, gained viral attention.
Melinda Cook, a nurse at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health, has been terminated following the viral spread of several videos in which she provided ‘resistance tips’ aimed at ‘sabotaging’ ICE agents.
In a TikTok account that has since been deleted, Cook posted videos that advocated for medical harm against ICE agents, stated the hospital. The nurse was subjected to an investigation after her videos were disseminated on X by the account 'LibsofTikTok', which led to an internal inquiry and significant backlash online.
Here's what VCU Health said
On Tuesday, VCU Health released a statement indicating that Cook was “no longer employed” with them and that they have met the reporting obligations mandated by Virginia state law.
The statement further noted that both the hospital and VCU police initiated an investigation following the viral spread of the nurse's videos on X.
“We prioritise the health and safety of anyone who comes to us for care. We are aware of a series of videos that appear to have been posted by an individual confirmed to be an employee of our health system, the VCU added, calling the content of the videos “highly inappropriate,” which “does not reflect the integrity or values of our health system.”
Also Read: JD Vance faces backlash after revealing why he decided to have 4th child with Usha: ‘Pure hypocrisy’
Melinda Cook's videos spark uproar
In a video titled '#ice #resistance #sabotage', Cook urged medical providers to use "sabotage tactic" against ICE agents amid Trump's crackdown on illegal immigrants. “Sabotage tactic, or at least a scare tactic. All the medical providers, take some syringes with needles attached.”
She recommended them to fill the syringes with “saline or succinylcholine” or any substance that would serve as a “deterrent.” Succinylcholine is an anesthetic that induces rapid, short-lived muscle paralysis lasting between four to six minutes.
In a separate video labeled ‘#resist’, the nurse proposed gathering “poison ivy or poison oak” from their gardens. “Get some of that, with gloves, obviously, and get it in some water. Like a gallon of water. And get the poison ivy oak water and I’m going to put it into a water gun. Aim for faces, hands,” she stated.
Her appeal did not end here as she posted a third video, advising the single women in Minnesota to “get on Tinder, get on Hinge, find these guys, they are around.” She proposed tampering with the ICE agent's beverage by adding “Ex-Lax” to induce illness. “You know, nobody’s going to die. Just enough to incapacitate them and get them off the street for the next day. Highly, easily deniable.”
Reacting to the video, one person wrote: “Her career in healthcare just permanently ended because nobody can deal with the legal liability of employing her anymore after she's openly advocated poisoning people over their political views.”
“I probably shouldn’t admit this but between the insanity of COVID and evil like this, I never want to go to a hospital or doctor unless I’m dying or close to it. Just not worth the risk of some kooky nurse recognizing me and acting on her lunacy,” another stated.
