Florida: opinion piece on off-duty speech case
A Florida Today opinion piece frames the controversy over a Boca Raton nurse whose online comments led to her termination and an emergency license suspension as a test of whether a health professional’s off-duty speech can cost them their license. The case centers on a former labor and delivery nurse who posted a social media video with inflammatory political comments that went viral; state officials responded by suspending her nursing license and the Florida Attorney General publicly called for its revocation, saying such remarks conflict with professional responsibilities. Supporters argue that disciplining a nurse for political expression unrelated to patient care raises free-speech concerns and may exceed what licensing authorities should regulate, while regulators say protecting public trust and patient safety in healthcare practice justifies review of conduct tied to the profession. The dispute is now before a Florida appeals court as the nurse seeks to overturn or narrow the suspension, with observers noting broader implications for how personal online speech intersects with professional licensure standards.