Commissioners were wrong

Bob Costa, renowned journalist said, “Actions matter in politics and policy.”

A week ago, the Sanders County Commissioners requested the resignation of Nick Lawyer, a member of the County Public Health Board and the County’s Public Health Officer, effectively firing him.

This action by the commissioners was on wrong many levels.

• The first glaring example is that county residents were not informed of any meetings concerning this action. The decision to request this resignation was not handled appropriately; an off-agenda item can be discussed, but must then be tabled for a future meeting with proper notification to the public. This omission effectively excluded comment from the public who would otherwise have been present to offer an opposing view and to support Nick.

• None of the other appointed Health Board members were informed of nor consulted about this removal.

• No legitimate reason for requesting his removal has been forthcoming. His statements to the public fall well within the parameters of mainstream medical research and are scientifically based and factual. He made no derogatory remarks, nor did he say anything offensive, unprofessional or inaccurate. To remove a highly trained medical provider during an interminable pandemic because he is expressing concern for his entire community is ludicrous and infuriating.

Indeed, Nick’s actions have shown him to be professional and committed to his work, his patients, and the community as a whole. He feels these responsibilities keenly, having been born and raised in Sanders County. He keeps abreast of all aspects of patient care. He is guided by science, not Google or social media.

He has a First Amendment right and a professional obligation to make these public statements, as set out by the AAPA Guidelines for Ethical Conduct for the PA profession.

In removing Nick, the commissioners have weakened the county’s response to the pandemic — not the smartest move when just a few days ago, the New York Times reported that Sanders County ranked 28th among hot spots in the entire country in counties with 10,000 residents or more. They stated today (09/24), “The total reported (cases) for the past week (in Sanders County) was the highest of the pandemic.” One in eleven of our residents has been infected with COVID. That fact alone should appall our elected officials, ensuring they do all they can to have the best people in critical positions.

Disinformation – the willful repetition of false or unproven data – was spread at the commission meeting and has yet to be corrected; this further diminishes the level of trust to be expected in the public forum and in the moderate political climate that used to be a mainstay of our county.

We who were excluded because proper public notice of the proceedings was withheld are outraged at the egregious way this was handled. It was wrong, it violated standard procedure. It demonstrates the type of behavior in which elected officials should never engage; it reduces trust in those officials. We expect the commissioners to hear input from all residents, not just a vocal subset.

Cheri Seli, Plains