Maternity Nurse Fired for Wishing Severe Childbirth Injury on Pregnant Karoline Leavitt
A labor and delivery nurse at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital in Florida has been terminated after posting a now-deleted TikTok in which she expressed a desire for White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt — who is pregnant with her second child to suffer a severe childbirth injury.
The firing has ignited a fierce national debate over free speech, professional conduct in healthcare, political retaliation, and the limits of acceptable workplace expression when targeting public figures.
The nurse, Lexie Lawler, posted the video in which she stated: “As a labor and delivery nurse, it gives me great joy to wish Karoline Leavitt a fourth-degree tear. I hope that you f—ing rip from bow to stern and never sh– normally again, you c—.”
The expletive-filled rant quickly spread across social media, drawing immediate outrage from Trump supporters and conservative commentators who called for her termination. Within hours, the video had been widely shared, screenshot, and reposted even after Lawler deleted it from her account.
Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital confirmed Lawler’s termination in a statement to multiple Florida news outlets (WPTV and CBS 12) on Friday: “The comments made in a social media video by a nurse at one of our facilities do not reflect our values or the standards we expect of healthcare professionals. Following a prompt review, the individual is no longer employed by our health system.”
The hospital added: “While we respect the right to personal opinions, there is no place in healthcare for language or behavior that calls into question a caregiver’s ability to provide compassionate, unbiased care.”
Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer also publicly confirmed he had been in contact with hospital leadership shortly after the video surfaced, stating on Facebook: “These disgusting comments have no place in medicine or in our community.”
Following her termination, a GoFundMe campaign was quickly launched on Lawler’s behalf seeking $14,000 for a legal defense fund.
The fundraiser describes her as “a liberal woman who used her personal social media — on her own time to sharply criticize a public figure tied to a cruel, harmful administration.”
It argues: “Her words were blunt, angry and unapologetic. They were directed at power, not her workplace. That speech was lawful. The retaliation was real. After right-wing backlash and online targeting, her employer chose risk management over free expression — and terminated her instead of standing up for her rights.”
Lawler addressed her firing in a video posted January 24, visibly emotional and defiant: “So they just murdered a man in Minnesota,” she said, referring to a January 24 fatal shooting in Minneapolis involving officers from the Department of Homeland Security.
“They murdered a man in Minnesota, and you motherf—ers are coming after me because I used bad language. F— you. I’m on the right side of this. F— you.”
The video has further polarized reactions: supporters praise her as a courageous voice against perceived authoritarianism, while critics condemn her language as unprofessional, threatening, and inappropriate for a healthcare worker.
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Looking At Political Speech vs. Professional Standards
The case has reignited debate over the boundaries of free speech for healthcare professionals, especially when directed at public figures.
Legal experts note that while Lawler’s speech was protected under the First Amendment (as political commentary on a public official), private employers — including hospitals can terminate employees for speech that violates workplace policies or undermines public trust in their ability to provide unbiased care.
Baptist Health emphasized that the decision was based on maintaining “compassionate, unbiased care” — a standard many hospitals cite when employees engage in controversial political speech.
The incident also occurs amid heightened national tension over immigration enforcement, the Epstein file releases, and the administration’s broader policies. Leavitt, 28, has been a frequent target of progressive anger due to her high-profile role and combative briefing style.
Lawler’s GoFundMe and public statements suggest she may pursue legal action, potentially claiming wrongful termination, violation of free speech rights, or retaliation for political views. Florida is an at-will employment state, but certain protections exist under federal and state law for off-duty political speech.
The case has drawn attention from both labor rights advocates who see it as an example of employer overreach and conservative commentators who argue healthcare workers must maintain neutrality and professionalism.
For Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital, the swift termination was framed as a necessary defense of institutional values. For Lawler and her supporters, it represents punishment for speaking truth to power.
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The incident is unlikely to fade quickly. With Leavitt pregnant and highly visible, and with national divisions over the administration’s policies deepening, Lawler’s words — however crude have become a flashpoint in a much larger cultural and political battle.
Whether she pursues legal action or the hospital stands by its decision, the case will likely remain a talking point in the ongoing debate over free speech, professional responsibility, and the limits of acceptable political expression in today’s society.
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