A labor and delivery nurse’s professional life was derailed after she posted a viral TikTok video wishing a severe obstetric injury on pregnant White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. The Florida Board of Nursing issued an Emergency Suspension Order against nurse Alexis Lawler, leading to her termination and barring her from practicing. This case highlights the increasing tension between professional standards of compassionate care and the off-duty conduct of healthcare workers on social media.
Story Highlights
- Florida Board of Nursing issued Emergency Suspension Order against nurse Alexis Lawler for TikTok video wishing severe obstetric injuries on pregnant Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
- Lawler terminated from Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital and barred from practicing nursing in Florida.
- Attorney General James Uthmeier demanded license revocation, stating healthcare workers wishing “pain and suffering” on others cross ethical lines.
- Supporters claim political retaliation for off-duty speech, launching GoFundMe for legal defense.
- Case highlights growing tension between professional standards and social media conduct for healthcare workers.
Nurse’s Controversial Social Media Post Triggers Swift Action
Alexis “Lexie” Lawler, a labor and delivery nurse at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital, posted a viral TikTok video expressing that it gave her “great joy” to wish a fourth-degree tear—the most severe type of obstetric injury—on pregnant White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. The explicit video sparked immediate outrage, prompting Baptist Health to terminate Lawler’s employment for violating standards of compassionate and unbiased patient care. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier quickly called for her nursing license to be revoked, describing her behavior as “vile” and declaring she “doesn’t belong anywhere near patients.”
BREAKING: The state of Florida just REVOKED Lexie’s nursing license for vile videos wishing childbirth injuries on Karoline Leavitt, following our reporting
Thank you @FLSurgeonGen and @AGJamesUthmeier! pic.twitter.com/PYVjaY7sjt
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 28, 2026
Emergency License Suspension Following State Intervention
By January 28, 2026, the Florida Board of Nursing filed an Emergency Suspension Order against Lawler’s license following Attorney General Uthmeier’s public demand for action. Uthmeier announced that Lawler is “no longer allowed to practice nursing in Florida,” marking an unusually aggressive regulatory response. The Attorney General emphasized that healthcare professionals who make statements wishing “pain and suffering” on others, especially when tied to their clinical role, cross ethical boundaries that warrant license revocation. He stated that termination from employment “isn’t good enough” and that nurses failing to uphold safe and unbiased care standards should not hold Florida licenses.
Free Speech Claims Face Legal Reality
Lawler’s supporters have organized a GoFundMe campaign that frames her termination and license suspension as political retaliation for off-duty speech directed at a public figure rather than a patient. Employment law specialist Susan Norton, managing partner at Allen Norton & Blue, clarified the fundamental legal issue: “If it’s a private employer, there are no First Amendment rights. The First Amendment only applies to public-sector employment.” Norton further explained that healthcare-specific professional standards create additional obligations beyond typical employment situations. Patients exist in extremely vulnerable positions, and expressing harm or indifference represents something hospitals simply will not tolerate regardless of where such statements occur.
Broader Implications for Healthcare Professionals
This case represents a rare escalation from employment termination to license suspension, which employment law specialists note is far less common than job loss alone in social media controversies. The incident demonstrates state regulatory willingness to pursue aggressive disciplinary action when healthcare workers make statements about causing harm, even on personal social media accounts. Attorney General Uthmeier is simultaneously investigating Miami nurse Erik Martindale over allegations he posted about refusing care to Trump supporters, though Martindale claims his account was hacked. These parallel cases signal intensified scrutiny of healthcare workers’ social media conduct and may establish new precedents for when off-duty speech triggers professional license discipline versus simple employment consequences.
Watch the report: Florida bans nurse from practicing after disturbing social media comments about White House Press
Sources:
- Florida AG demands nurse’s license revoked after ‘vile’ TikTok; supporters say free speech – NBC16
- Florida AG: Boca Raton nurse ‘no longer allowed to practice’ after viral TikTok – KOMO News
- Job lost, license at risk: Boca Raton nurse case reignites free speech debate – CBS12
- AG Uthmeier: Nurse Who Posted Karoline Leavitt Video Has License Revoked – iHeartRadio
