By HOI ABC
BLOOMINGTON – The public spokesperson for the McLean County Health Department is saying the department has limited his responsibilities after the delivery of a press release that contained a statement referring to racial issues and police brutality.
Dion McNeal, a communication specialist with the health department, said in an email that he has been removed from some roles, including sending out written materials for the public, according to our news partner HOI ABC. The email had his official signature and was sent to area media outlets and the McLean County Board of Health.
He said he was notified by the Public Health Emergency Operation Center that his administrative duties were suspended until further notice.
In the email, he stated, “It has been brought to my attention that I am no longer “trusted,” to handle public-facing activities and documentation because, “the statement in the ‘Guidance to Prevent Spread of COVID-19 At Protests, Rallies, & Mass Gatherings,’ does not represent the voice of the health department or Board of Health.”
The statement in that specific press release being referred to is:
“Racism and police brutality are forms of trauma that many of our community members experience. Witnessing this trauma repeatedly affects emotional, physical, and mental health, especially for those in communities of color. Check-up on friends, family, and your community, as well as checking in with yourself. Health people, healthy places.”
“It was shared with me that documents for media briefings were not completed in a timely fashion. I find this correlation of the release and the events that I will identify in this letter as targeting,” McNeal wrote.
McNeal said he is the only black voice in a leadership capacity at the health department. He went on to say he was approached by the department’s leadership on June 11 in an “unscheduled” meeting after work hours to discuss his reduced job duties, which meant no longer writing press releases and participating in any public-facing activities or media interaction.
The health department does say the county is committed to an inclusive and diverse workplace, and is examining all employee concerns.
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