EL PASO, Texas – The American Federation of Teachers of El Paso said it sent a letter to County Judge Ricardo Samaniego and Mayor Oscar Leeser requesting the removal and replacement of Dr. Hector Ocaranza as the health authority of the city / county of El Paso .
The group of teachers, in a social media post where their president Ross Moore released the demand letter, said that Ocaranza lost the respect of local educators by recently insisting that they should return to classrooms amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
The group questioned Ocaranza’s qualifications for the position of Health Authority, given that he is not an infectious disease specialist – and also questioned the reliability of some of the Covid-19 data that the doctor shared and used to guide his decision-making. decision to allow person learning.
“Just as it is time for a much-needed change in public health leadership at the national level in the battle against Covid-19, it is also in El Paso,” wrote Moore, the AFT leader. “We need the right experience and training, which Dr. Ocaranza, a pediatrician, does not have. Covid-19 data does not portray a history of success or transparency on the part of Dr. Ocaranza, nor does it create confidence and security in him. “
A city official issued a statement in support of Ocaranza on Wednesday night, while Judge Samaniego told ABC-7 earlier in the day that he would follow the organization’s objections.
Fire chief Mario D’Agostino, who heads El Paso’s emergency management operations – which includes parts of the city’s Covid response efforts, said the community was “lucky” to have Ocaranza in charge during the pandemic.
The chief also rejected the idea that Ocaranza was not suitable for dealing with outbreaks of infectious diseases, noting his vast experience on previous occasions.
“During his tenure, Dr. Ocaranza led our Ebola Preparedness Team, our Tuberculosis (TB) Response Team and our H1N1 Influenza Pandemic Response Team,” said D’Agostino in the statement sent to ABC- 7.
In addition, the chief defended the reopening views of the Ocaranza school, noting that the Health Authority spoke to educational leaders “on a regular basis and developed specific school guidelines for teachers, students and staff.”
Below is a look at the full statement that El Paso AFT posted on social media describing its objections to Ocaranza’s actions, followed by D’Agostino’s full response.
Here’s Chief Mario D’Agostino’s statement …
“Dr. Hector Ocaranza has served as our municipal-municipal health authority for over 12 years and El Paso is fortunate to have him serving and caring for our community.
During his tenure, Dr. Ocaranza led our Ebola Preparedness Team, our Tuberculosis (TB) Response Team and our H1N1 Flu Pandemic Response Team.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, he has participated in ongoing communications with all school districts to provide guidance and support. He met with school superintendents, school nurses and the school’s athletics team on a regular basis and developed specific school guidelines for teachers, students and staff.
Dr. Ocaranza wrote letters of support to ensure continued funding for the Texas Education Agency school and met with the Commissioner of Education to speak on behalf of the school.
El Paso is fortunate to have Dr. Ocaranza because he understands the importance of the health of our community, as well as the importance of the mental health of young people and the impact that the pandemic will have on the future of our children. It is a balance that we, as a community, must work together to achieve. “