The Florida Department of Health fined Leon County over $3.5 million last week after it fired 14 workers for refusing to show proof of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
Florida notified the county in a letter sent to Leon County administrator Vincent Long saying that the county had violated state law.
“By way of media reports, Leon County was made aware of a notice from the Florida Department of Health regarding the County’s vaccination requirement,” Long told Fox 4 in response. “There is a genuine disagreement about the applicability of the statute and rule, and the County will enforce its rights using any remedies available at law, if necessary.”
“It is unacceptable that Leon County violated Florida law, infringed on current and former employees’ medical privacy, and fired loyal public servants because of their personal health decisions,” a spokesperson for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in a statement Tuesday. “Governor DeSantis will continue fighting for Floridians’ rights and the Florida Department of Health will continue to enforce the law.”
In September, DeSantis announced that Florida would protect its citizens after reports that Leon County fired employees for not being vaccinated.
“We are going to protect Florida jobs. We are not going to let people be fired because of a vaccine mandate,” DeSantis said at the time, according to Fox 4. “You don’t just cast aside people who’ve been serving faithfully over this issue over, what’s basically a personal choice on their individual health. We cannot let these folks be cast aside. We cannot allow their jobs to be destroyed and their families and livelihoods, potentially, to be destroyed as well.”
