Ohio Republican accused of racist comments fired as emergency room doctor: report

On Thursday, the Cleveland Plain Dealerreported that Steve Huffman, a GOP state senator representing the Dayton, Ohio area, has been fired as an emergency room doctor from TeamHealth after being accused of making racist comments about COVID-19 during a committee hearing.

"A statement from TeamHealth, a health professional contractor who employed Huffman as an emergency room physician, said Thursday that Huffman had been fired for his line of questioning during the hearing of the Senate Health Committee," reported Seth Richardson. "'Dr. Huffman’s comments are wholly inconsistent with our values and commitment to creating a tolerant and diverse workplace,' said McHenry Lee, a TeamHealth spokesman. 'TeamHealth has terminated Dr. Huffman’s employment.'"

Huffman attracted nationwide attention when he speculated during the hearing that COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting African-Americans because the "colored population" practices poor hygiene.

“My point is I understand African Americans have a higher incidence of chronic conditions and it makes them more susceptible to death from COVID,” said Huffman. “But why it doesn’t make them more susceptible to just get COVID. 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? That could be the explanation of the higher incidence?”