A New Jersey nurse, Lexi Kuenzle, says she was punished after calling out a doctor who allegedly celebrated the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kuenzle, a 33-year-old nurse at Englewood Health, claims Dr. Matthew Jung, a bariatric surgeon, told colleagues that Kirk “deserved it” after his assassination at a Utah Valley University event. She confronted him, saying no doctor should condone death, and later posted about it online.
The next day, Kuenzle says she was suspended without pay and warned she might be fired. Her lawsuit accuses the hospital of retaliation, creating a hostile work environment, and discriminating against her for her Christian faith. She is seeking damages under New Jersey’s whistleblower and anti-discrimination laws, arguing she was penalized simply for holding a colleague to professional standards.
Englewood Health confirmed both Kuenzle and Jung were suspended pending investigation, adding that reports she was fired were inaccurate. Notably, Jung’s profile has since disappeared from the hospital’s website. Kuenzle’s lawyer insists her only “offense” was asking how a physician could square such comments with the Hippocratic Oath and ethical obligations to patients.
The case has already stirred intense debate online. Supporters frame Kuenzle as a whistleblower standing up for basic morality, while critics argue internal disputes shouldn’t become political flashpoints. At its core, the lawsuit raises a sharp question for medical institutions: should speaking out against disturbing remarks be seen as disruptive—or as necessary accountability?