Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles. Via Montgomery County, MD Flickr.
Montgomery County Council and County Executive Marc Elrich released a joint statement supporting Dr. Travis Gayles after he opened up to Bethesda Beat about being targeted by racist messages.
Gayles, who leads Montgomery County’s coronavirus recovery efforts as the County Health Officer, started receiving the racist vitriol by residents frustrated with his response to covid-19. Gayles told The Beat that some messages were so “concerning” that he reached out to Montgomery County Police Department about security protection.
The County Council and Elrich praised Gayles’ leadership in their joint statement and condemned “all forms of hate speech and harassment.”
“Hate has no place in our inclusive community,” the statement says. “Montgomery County residents and public employees should be free to go about their daily lives and conduct their work without the fear of hate speech and harassment. This includes Dr. Gayles, who has received hate-filled comments and endured homophobic and racial slurs, while working relentlessly each day to combat the public health impacts of COVID-19.”
While Montgomery County's top health official has been managing the local response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he says he's also been fielding many racist, homophobic and derogatory messages from critics. https://t.co/bkv9i1Fb3s
— Caitlynn Peetz (@CaitlynnPeetz14) September 17, 2020
Bethesda Beat interviewed Gayles on Tuesday. Their full interview with Gayles will be featured in the November/December issue of Bethesda Magazine.
Read the Full Statement Condemning Hate Speech Against Dr. Gayles
Here’s the full statement by the County Council and County Executive Marc Elrich:
The Montgomery County Council and County Executive Marc Elrich made the following statement on the recent harassment and hate speech County Health Officer and Chief of Public Health Services Dr. Travis Gayles has received over the County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Gayles has been Montgomery County’s health officer and chief of public health services since 2017.
We are united in our ongoing support for County Health Officer and Chief of Public Health Services Dr. Travis Gayles and recognize the outstanding work he is doing to protect the public health and safety of our community. Montgomery County is fortunate to have an accomplished, dedicated and highly skilled leader providing our public health guidance and making extremely difficult choices to ensure our public health and welfare.
Hate has no place in our inclusive community. We denounce all forms of hate speech and harassment. Montgomery County residents and public employees should be free to go about their daily lives and conduct their work without the fear of hate speech and harassment. This includes Dr. Gayles, who has received hate-filled comments and endured homophobic and racial slurs, while working relentlessly each day to combat the public health impacts of COVID-19.
In the face of the largest and most challenging global pandemic in modern history, Dr. Gayles has consistently followed the latest scientific data and evidence in his decision-making. His work is instrumental in achieving our ultimate goal, which is protecting public health.
We are exceedingly grateful to Dr. Gayles for his ongoing leadership, commitment and integrity. We stand in solidarity with Dr. Gayles and his team, as we continue working together to protect and serve more than one million Montgomery County residents.
Statement from the Montgomery County Council and County Executive Elrich in support of Dr. Travis Gayles and denouncing hate speech and harassment https://t.co/s9U4gq0XzM pic.twitter.com/ODdf6hu6DU
— Montgomery Council (@MoCoCouncilMD) September 17, 2020
