A New Jersey nurse says she was punished for speaking out against a doctor who allegedly celebrated the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk — and now she’s taking the hospital to court.
The incident
The shockwaves from Charlie Kirk’s assassination are now hitting ordinary people — and some are paying with their jobs, according to reports.
The backlash has swept up everyone from teachers and firefighters to journalists, politicians, and even a Secret Service employee.
Lexi Kuenzle, 33, has been a nurse for a decade, nearly two years of which she’s spent at Englewood Health in New Jersey.
When news broke on September 10 that Kirk had been fatally shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University, Kuenzle says one of her colleagues, bariatric surgeon Dr. Matthew Jung, openly “cheered” in front of her, eight nurses, and even a patient on a stretcher.
“Oh, my God! That’s terrible! I love him!” Kuenzle recalled saying.
Dr. Jung allegedly fired back: “I hate Charlie Kirk. He had it coming. He deserved it.”
Kuenzle says she immediately confronted him, asking: “You’re a doctor. How could you say someone deserved to die?”
She later described his remarks as “mind-blowing” in an interview with the New York Post, adding: “I was so angry and upset.”
According to the lawsuit, Jung then tried to smooth things over by offering to “buy lunch” for Kuenzle and the other nurses.
Suspension and fallout
Kuenzle reported the incident to management and posted about it on social media. But instead of support, she claims she was suspended without pay the very next day — and told she would likely be fired.
“She had the audacity to question how Dr. Jung can comply with the Hippocratic Oath’s and the American Medical Association’s Code of Medical Ethics while celebrating the murder of a non-violent Christian speaker who was on a college campus,” her attorney, John Coyle, wrote in the complaint.
Coyle’s lawsuit alleges that Englewood Health violated the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, retaliated against Kuenzle for her Christian faith, created a hostile work environment, and violated the Conscientious Employee Protection Act.
Kuenzle is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages.
Hospital Responds
Englewood Health confirmed to Fox News that both Kuenzle and Dr. Jung were suspended while the matter is investigated.
“Contrary to certain media reports, the nurse was not fired. Any reported suggestions that the nurse should seek other employment was not an official or accurate statement from Englewood Health,” the hospital said.
As of Sunday, Dr. Jung’s profile was no longer listed on the hospital’s website.
A conservative voice
Kuenzle, an outspoken conservative, often shares pro-Trump content on her Instagram, including photos of herself holding an American flag and a cardboard cutout of the president.
GOP activist Scott Presler came to her defense online, calling her one of “Charlie’s Angels” and questioning whether Dr. Jung can fairly treat patients who don’t share his politics.
“Would he treat them differently? Would he allow his emotions to cloud his judgment, as he did by saying such a statement in front of a patient?” Presler asked.
This case has already drawn strong reactions online, raising questions about workplace ethics, free speech, and whether personal opinions can cost someone their job. Should speaking out against a colleague’s comments be punished, or is this a necessary stand for accountability?