Florida has drawn a firm line: Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo has revoked the nursing license of Lexie Lawler, the labor-and-delivery nurse who publicly celebrated the prospect of catastrophic birth injuries for White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
State Attorney General James Uthmeier hailed the move as “decisive action.” Lawler’s grotesque wish—“I hope you rip from bow to stern and never shit normally again”—shattered every ethical boundary in health care. She is now barred from practicing in Florida.
“Wishing pain and permanent harm on a patient—or anyone—is an absolute red line,” AG Uthmeier declared. “Losing your job isn’t good enough. Anyone in health care who abandons their duty to do no harm must lose their license. No excuses.”
The offending statement came in a TikTok video, amplified by Libs of TikTok. In it, Lawler gleefully endorsed a fourth-degree tear—the most severe obstetric laceration, tearing through perineal muscles into the rectal lining. Recovery demands surgery and six to eight weeks of healing, and up to 40% of women never fully recover.
Baptist Health Boca Raton swiftly terminated Lawler’s employment. Their statement was blunt: her views “do not reflect our values or the standards we expect of health care professionals.”
Florida’s leadership sent a clear message: health care workers who weaponize their position against patients will face the harshest consequences. Governor Ron DeSantis and Surgeon General Ladapo refuse to tolerate politically motivated malice in hospitals and clinics.
This decisive action upholds patient safety and reaffirms Florida’s commitment to the highest standards in health care. Let this serve as a warning: professionalism and compassion are non-negotiable. Anyone who fails that test must—and will—be held accountable.
