The Kenosha News named Kenosha County Health Director Jen Freiheit their “2020 person of the year.” She is extremely popular among those that want mask mandates and for schools to be virtual-only. She makes $110,000 per year since December of 2019 when she was appointed by County Executive James Kreuser (D). She has a PhD in Urban Education. In her most recent position, she was Milwaukee’s Chief Deputy Health Commissioner. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Freiheit was “pushed out” from the department for concerns about her job performance. According to her boss, Jeanette Kowalik, there was a “great concern” about her (Freiheit’s) integrity and she was asked to resign. Some county board supervisors argued against hiring a heath director marred with allegations of misconduct, but the majority-democrat board voted to hire her. Even though Freiheit is a woman and looks like a woman, she signs her emails with “she/her” to let others know that she is “woke”.
Her “wokeness” may have put her and Kenosha County in serious legal trouble. According to the Wisconsin Institution of Law and Liberty, Freiheit had to be reminded that she doesn’t have the authority to close schools. The group stated in part:
“We have received multiple reports from parents that the Kenosha County health department has told school boards and schools administrators in Kenosha County that it has the power to close schools, and will close schools, if they do not follow the health department’s recommendations or
meet various metrics created by the health department. One recent document from the health department (attached to this letter) states that certain “indicators will trigger a transition to at-home learning for all staff and students in a school or the district.” Another email from a school district administrator to families in the district noted that “Kenosha County Public Health has shared they would intervene and require a move to virtual instruction for all of our students if we reached a point of 3% active infections. The Kenosha health department’s position is wrong; it does not have the power to close schools. We write this letter to remind the health department, as well as local school boards, school administrators, and parents in Kenosha County and elsewhere, of the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision this summer (in a case brought by WILL), holding that “local health officers do not have the power to close schools.” James v. Heinrich, 2021 WI 58, ¶ 26, 960 N.W.2d 350.”
We reached out to Freiheit and received the following statement:
“What was put out to school districts was a metrics recommendation to review protocols and processes if a school reaches a 3 percent positive COVID-19 case rate. These are advisory recommendations from public health to the school districts. We are more than willing and have in the past met with schools to discuss plans and procedures and recommend best practices in the event of a large outbreak, but it is ultimately up to the school districts to decide whether to transition to virtual or hybrid learning.”
Click here to view the letter to Freiheit and the letter she authored. You can judge for yourself.
One Response
So the Kenosha County Health Director is NOT a Medical Doctor but has a quest for absolute power and an issue with integrity. So another overpaid authoritarian bureaucrat has been hired who seeks to limit our Liberties. Great move Kenosha County Board!
I find it very ironic that Freiheit is the German word for Freedom……exactly what’s expected from liberals, the opposite of what they proclaim.