A Houston pediatrician is no longer employed by a regional clinic network and has issued a public apology after making a controversial social media post about the deadly flash floods in central Texas. Dr. Christina Propst suggested that residents of the hard-hit, Trump-supporting Kerr County “get what they voted for” amid a disaster that has claimed nearly 120 lives, including many children.
In her post on July 4, Propst referenced Kerr County’s support for Donald Trump, whose administration has sought to downplay the climate crisis and has suggested phasing out the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“May all visitors, children, non-Maga voters and pets be safe and dry,” the post read. “Kerr county Maga voted to gut Fema. They deny climate change. May they get what they voted for.”
The post quickly drew outrage online, with users alerting her employer, Blue Fish Pediatrics, which is affiliated with the Memorial Hermann hospital system. The clinic initially placed Propst on leave before announcing on Sunday that she was “no longer an employee.”
In a statement, Blue Fish Pediatrics condemned the comment, saying it “does not reflect the values, standards or mission” of the organization. “We do not support or condone any statement that politicizes tragedy, diminishes human dignity, or fails to clearly uphold compassion for every child and family, regardless of background or beliefs,” the clinic added.
Propst has since taken full responsibility for the post, which she said was made before the full scale of the tragedy was known. “I speak to you as a mother, a neighbor, a pediatrician, and a human being who is deeply sorry,” she wrote. “I understand my comment caused immense pain to those suffering indescribable grief and for that I am truly sorry… my regrettable comment was in no way a response to the tragic loss of human life.”
The controversy unfolded as communities along the Guadalupe River reeled from the flood, which was triggered by torrential rain. The river rose an unprecedented 26 feet in 45 minutes after an estimated 1.8 trillion gallons of rain fell on the region. As of Wednesday, officials reported at least 119 fatalities, including campers and counselors at Camp Mystic, with more than 160 people still missing in Kerr County alone.
According to a now-removed biography on the clinic’s website, Propst is a Princeton University and Tulane medical school graduate who has been practicing in the Houston area since 2001.
Source link
