Chicago’s ex-top doctor is unceremoniously fired by city’s new mayor – as speculation mounts it’s because she pushed to reopen schools during the pandemic
Chicago’s ex-top doctor is unceremoniously fired by the city’s new mayor — as speculation mounts, it’s because she pushed for schools to reopen amid the pandemic
- Dr. Allison Arwady, the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, was told Friday by the mayor of Chicago that she was being released
- Brandon Johnson, the mayor, said during his election campaign that he would fire Arwady
- On Friday, he dodged questions about whether the firing was a ‘payback period’ for her push to reopen schools in February 2021, sooner than when teachers wanted to
Chicago’s forward-thinking new mayor has fired the city’s top doctor, refusing to answer questions about whether the firing was related to her effort to reopen schools at the end of the COVID pandemic.
Dr. Allison Arwady, the Chicago Department of Public Health commissioner in charge of the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, was fired by Mayor Brandon Johnson on Friday.
Johnson — who became mayor in May, replacing the highly unpopular Lori Lightfoot — was a union organizer before entering politics.
Chicago’s teachers’ union opposed Arwady’s bid to reopen schools in February 2021, and during the mayoral election, he said he would fire her if elected.
He later retracted his statement and said he would meet with her before making a decision. But he said he disagreed with her decision to push for Chicago Public Schools to reopen amid pandemic safety concerns.
Dr. Chicago Department of Public Health commissioner Allison Arwady was fired Friday
On Monday, Johnson dodged reporters’ questions about her firing and whether the firing was “payback” for her attempt to reopen schools in February 2021, rather than when the CTU wanted to open them.
She said the outcome “wasn’t a surprise, but the way it happened, I think, was unnecessarily destabilizing for my department.”
“I respect this decision. I’m just afraid the way it’s made will make it more difficult to bring in a new commissioner, like someone who really understands public health and has the expertise and knowledge to run this department.”
Brandon Johnson, the mayor of Chicago, fired the city’s top doctor on Friday
Arwady said NBC Chicago she didn’t know why she was fired, but she was disappointed that her dismissal was instant.
“It’s so important that the person who comes into my role next understands public health and wants to fight for it the right way,” she said.
Johnson was elected on a forward-thinking public safety platform that went beyond policing, but distanced himself from past support for cutting law enforcement funding.
Lightfoot lost her attempts to win a second term, largely due to dissatisfaction with Chicago’s rising crime rate and her progressive policies.
Johnson dodged questions on Monday about his motivation for firing Arwady.
“Transition is difficult for everyone,” he said.
“But as has been said, I don’t know how many times you can quote Tupac in a press conference, you can’t always go by the things you hear.
‘Real eyes, right? Realize, real lies. So is Tupac Shakur.”