Regulator investigating 2 Ont. nurses who travelled to D.C. rally promoting 'COVID fraud' conspiracy

Ontario's nursing regulator says it is investigating twonurses who travelled to Washington, D.C., last week to attend a rally by a group of their peers that has made unsubstantiated, conspiratorialclaims about "COVID fraud" and hospitals' alleged role in misrepresenting the coronavirus pandemic.

Kristen Nagle, a neonatal ICU nurse fromLondon, Ont., and Sarah Choujounian,a registered practical nurse from Toronto, travelled to the United States last week despitecurrent public health directives toavoid all non-essential travelin order to help mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The College of Nurses of Ontario confirmed the two nurses, who haveparticipatedineventsprotesting COVID-19 public health measures in Canada, were already under investigation and said it is aware of their recent trip to D.C. to attend an event organized by Global Frontline Nurses (GFN).

The group's members claim hospitals around the world are misreporting cases of the virus and needlessly placing patientson ventilators and diagnosing people with COVID-19in order to make money offthe crisis.

"I can advise that CNO is investigating these members and that we are aware of the information indicated," said spokesperson Angela Smith in response to CBC News questions about the investigation.

Smith said regulations prevent the college from providing details on the status of the investigation.

'It's shocking'

Doris Grinspun, CEO of theRegistered Nurses' Association of Ontario, calls the views promoted byGlobal Frontline Nurses"pure conspiracy theory."

"It's damaging because what people need is factual information," Grinspun, who has filed a complaint against Naglewith the college over her past activities,said in an interview.

"When you hear this from one of your own,and in this case, two of our own, one RN and one RPN, it's shocking."

GFN's members gathered on the steps of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.,on Jan. 6 hours before thousands of supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump descended on the Capitol to try to stop the certification the presidential election results by violently overwhelming police and storminginto the building.

According to a press release issued ahead of the GFNevent, the intent was to "share insight about COVID fraud and corruption inside hospitals."

Attended past anti-mask events

Nagle and Choujounian have attracted the attention of American mediafor attending the GFN event at a time when the U.S.-Canada borderissupposed to be shut to all non-essential travel.

The two nurses are no strangers to public controversy. Both have participatedin rallies against wearing masks and government-mandated lockdownsduring the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nagle, who works as a neonatal nurse at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC),was one of the organizers of an anti-mask rally in Victoria Parkin November that resulted ina number of chargesbeing laid under the Reopening Ontario Act.

Since that rally,Nagle hasbeen placed under investigation by the college and her employer. A spokesperson for LHSC said she will remain on unpaid leave pending the results of thehospital network's probe.

Erinor Jacob-Levine told CBC News in an email that LHSCis aware of Nagle's trip south of the border.

"We want to assure our community that we take this situation and the new events that have come to light very seriously," Jacob-Levine said.

"While we are not able to address the specifics of an internal investigation due to privacy, safeguarding the health of our patients and their families, staff and physicians is of the utmost importance and remains our top priority."

Toronto nurse says she was fired fromnursing home

Choujouniancurrentlyworks for S.R.T. MedStaff, according to the Ontario College of Nurses.The company describesitself as "a leading provider of nursing and personal support services to over 30 hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area."

Carolyn Acton, vice-president of patient services and operations at S.R.T. MedStaff, said in an emailthat the company could not discuss Choujounian's travels because of privacy considerations.

However, she saidpolicies arein place to prevent staff who have travelled outside the country from coming in contact with patients.

"Currently, anystaffwho has travelled outside of Canada is required to self-isolate for 14 days and to contact Public Health," Acton wrote."At the end of the 14 day isolation period, we re-screenstaffand also require that they are cleared by Public Health prior to being reinstated for work."

A YouTube video shows Choujouniantelling a crowd at an anti-lockdown rally in Toronto in Novemberthat she was fired from her job at Norfinch Care Community,anursing home in the North York neighbourhood of Toronto, for"speaking the truth" and sharing her opinion about the pandemic online.

Sienna Senior Living, the company that owns Norfinch Care Community, confirmed toCBC News on Monday that Choujounianis "no longer an employee" at the nursing homebut wouldn't provide further details, citingprivacy reasons.

Nurses facing 'death threats and harassment': GFN

JeffLouderback, a spokesman for Global Frontline Nurses, confirmed the two Canadian nursesattended the Jan. 6 event but told CBC News via text message that Nagle and Choujounianwere "not available for interviews" because they have been subject to "death threats and harassment."

CBC News attempted to contactChoujounianonsocial mediaand received no reply.

Attempts were also made to reach Nagle through her social media accounts and through herbrother on social media but were unsuccessful.

The nurses documented their trip andtheGFNevent on social media.

Ontario nurses travelled to Washington D.C.

3 years ago

Duration 1:58

A group of nurses, including two who are now under investigation by Ontario's nursing regulator, gathered in Washington D.C. last week. Video captured from the Instagram account of Kristen Nagle of London, Ont.

They were seen togetherwith other GFN membersin one videoposted on Nagle'sInstagram account last week.The video wasmade private following media reports about the trip butwas seenby CBC News while it was still public.

In the video, Nagle and Choujounianare seen with at least five other people, none of whom are wearing masks, inside what appears to be a hotel room.

They recount attending a Trump rally that was held last Wednesday south of the White House before some of the supporters moved to the Capitol.

"I keep getting messages wondering if we're OK. We are all safe," Nagle says in the video before passing her phonetoChoujounian, who talks about carrying a pro-Trump flag for fear ofbeing mistaken for a supporter of the far-leftgroup Antifabecause she was dressed all in black.