Council, Community Divide over anti-COVID vaccination efforts intensifies on social media

At the August 23 Front Royal Town Council meeting, Councilmember Letasha Thompson raised questions about her colleague Scott Lloyd’s potential conflict of interest regarding his “representation” cited in a recent media report of Valley Health nurses fighting their employer’s mandate that all its health service workers be vaccinated against the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. Those questions were voiced in the wake of Lloyd opening the meeting by requesting his second proposed “Emergency Ordinance” prohibiting employers in the town limits from mandating employees be vaccinated against the COVID-19 pandemic, be removed from that evening’s agenda.

Scott Lloyd, left, and Letasha Thompson, right foreground, at July 12 work session, continue to butt heads over Lloyd’s motivation for two recent legislative initiatives in support of anti-vax Valley Health employees while failing to disclose his role as Registered Agent of an incorporated ‘Advocacy’ group for several of those employees. Royal Examiner Photos by Roger Bianchini

The reason, Lloyd explained, were as-yet unanswered questions regarding a potential conflict of interest he may have, that was submitted to the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council. As reported in our initial story on that August 23 council meeting – “Council divide over legal boundaries surrounding COVID vaccination mandates widens” – Lloyd’s effort to remove the item failed. Consequently, his latest initiative to pass legislation the Town Attorney has judged unenforceable in Virginia with multiple layers of legislative precedents against it was later rejected by the three-member majority (Cockrell, Thompson, Gillispie). That majority has held sway on the now five-member council since the Town legal staff opinion that Lloyd’s anti-vaccination-mandate effort was legally unenforceable in a Dillon Rule state like Virginia.

Legal debate

Lloyd and his lone council ally on the issue, Joe McFadden, claim council’s only private-sector attorney has found legal precedent within the Town Charter giving the town government authority to set guidelines for hospital and medical operations despite Dillon Rule parameters that municipal governments can’t exceed authorities directly granted to them by the state government. At the August 23 meeting, McFadden read a statement on the issue into the meeting record. It appeared to contend that since the Town Charter dating to 1937 was approved by the Virginia General Assembly, a passage in Chapter 5, Section 18, paragraph 8 stating “the town council … can regulate hospitals or other medical or health-related facilities (operating within town limits),” the municipal authority to enforce Lloyd’s proposed prohibition on Valley Health’s COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) vaccination mandate has been granted by the State to the Town of Front Royal.

And while the legal battle wasn’t engaged that evening, the likely counterargument in a Dillon Rule state like Virginia would be those legislative initiatives authorizing state imposition of vaccination mandates in public health crises, and legal precedents on private-sector authority to do the same built on cases over the last 84 years would hold sway over an obscure sentence in a Town Charter dating to 1937. And the council majority consensus has been the Town does not have the time and resources to fight that legal battle to the Virginia Supreme Court, if not further.

McFadden responded to an emailed query to him and Lloyd on these conflicting legal perspectives with this observation: “The entire effort is dead. It’s over. Not sure why you are pursuing a dead horse. An ordinance voted on is dead for a year. Our legislative process is intact is it not?” Our follow-up question on the “dead for a year” contention – If true, how did it crop back up on August 23 after being defeated July 26, you simply reframe the parameters a bit and reintroduce as new legislation, right? – was unanswered by submission for publication, and remains unanswered.

As alluded to in the above-referenced story, Lloyd and some of his supporters took offense at Thompson’s re-questioning his motive or the council majority, his legal opinion, in continuing to publicly beat what that council majority, including the mayor, believe is a dead legislative horse. That questioning peaked on August 23, after Thompson cited nurses quoted in a media story saying that Lloyd “represented” them. Following Lloyd’s comments that he did not speak to the NVD reporter who wrote the story, suggesting the media can’t always be trusted to report accurately, Thompson pointed out that Lloyd had declined to respond to the reporter’s question about his role with the group. – “I asked what was your end game? – Was it to win a lawsuit?” Thompson asked with her updated information on Lloyd’s involvement with Valley Health nurses fighting the vaccine mandate.

In response at the August 23 meeting, Lloyd cited uncompensated “advocacy” as opposed to direct legal representation in his professional role as a self-described “policy attorney”.

On Aug. 25, Thompson posted screenshots of online documentation on the creation of the Valley Health Workers Association, with listed Registered Agent Edward Scott Lloyd, on July 21, five days before the first vote on Lloyd’s initial Emergency Ordinance seeking to halt employer vaccine mandates in the town limits. Below, Lloyd is among the listed officers of the group.

Social Media escalates the debate

On her Facebook page two days later, Thompson reported on what she had discovered online about Lloyd’s connection to the anti-vax health care workers. She posted information on the creation of an employee advocacy group called Valley Health Workers Association, with Lloyd listed as the “Registered Agent” and what she believes is Lloyd’s home address as the corporation’s “Principal Business” address. The founding date is listed as July 21, five days prior to council’s first vote rejecting Lloyd’s initial Emergency Ordinance proposal targeting employer, particularly Valley Health’s, vaccination mandates.

She also posted from a related group, “Unified Non Compliance Public”, that Lloyd appeared to be involved in, as well, as it focused on organizing “strikes” or demonstrations against Valley Health’s approaching September 7 deadline that its employees at least have a first vaccine dose to maintain their employment status.

Two posts from a related site Thompson posted illustrating Lloyd’s private-sector involvement at multiple levels in the employees fight against the vaccination mandate.

Of Lloyd’s apparent involvement Thompson wrote, “He’s representing Valley Health employees, organizing strikes, and his group is also working to form a union. All of this is happening while he’s creating an ordinance specific to Valley Health and subsequently voting on it. Voted at 7/26 meeting.” Why, she wondered, hadn’t Lloyd disclosed these activities during multiple public and private discussions about his initiatives and motives?

Comments on Thompson’s social media page reacting to her information on Lloyd’s role with these groups reflected the deepening divide apparent during public comments on August 23, when a 5-4 split in support of Lloyd’s efforts was voiced beginning at the one-hour-and-40-minute mark of the Town video of that meeting. 

Point …

A number of commenters commended Thompson for her digging to find information Lloyd had declined to publicly disclose. Below are some of those:

“Thanks, Councilman Letasha Thompson. If this is all so innocent, then why hide it? He had ample opportunity to disclose what he’s doing but has not,” Alane Yates wrote.

“Thanks for asking the hard questions and shining a light on these issues,” Julie Greer Chickery added.

“Thank you for continuing to ask the questions that no one wants to answer!” from Kimmee Hancock LaCross.

“They gave Bebhinn Egger much grief for asking questions. If only they had listened and done a bit of due diligence. Keep going, and thank you!” – Franziska Brautigam Tamas.

“Great job!! Don’t ever stop asking questions!” – Kris Collins Nelson.

“You are right. There is something wrong with using your public position to accomplish your private goals.” – Shawn McClosky.

… Counterpoint

However, others weren’t so enamored of Thompson’s efforts, or votes against Lloyd’s initiatives in this regard, raising the specter of evil, corruption, corporate conspiracies, and even Satanic motivations in her public questioning and social media follow-up on Councilman Lloyd’s activities on the issue:

“Unfortunately when satan gets ahold of people they are unable to hide it. They must try to stop anything they think is of God. They will work hard to try and dissolve anything good. Even cutting their own nose off to spite their face. I will pray for you Ms. Thompson,” Penelope Pope wrote followed by five praying-hand emojis. Thompson later questioned Pope as to having a fake social media profile.

Alternating perspectives posted on Councilman Thompson’s Facebook page about her revelation of online evidence detailing her colleague’s ‘advocacy’ work on behalf of Valley Health employees, followed by Thompson’s response to the suggestion she is in league with the devil.

“Pope’s”, or whoever they may be, Satanic suggestions brought several responses in defense of Thompson – “wow! How dare you?” from Stevi Hubbard and “Penelope Pope, I, personally, thank God for people like LeTasha Thompson, who are willing to be transparent, genuine, and honest. I also know LeTasha to be one who ‘Loves the Lord her God with all of her heart, soul and mind’ … LeTasha lives out her faith. She doesn’t use it as a convenience for political gain … I will pray for you, ma’am,” followed by one praying hands emoji from Michael Williams (Williams is a local Lay Anglican Minister).

Then Thompson’s motivations were questioned:

“Who bought you out? Which big pharma company pays you on the side? Who is lining your books? That is what we want to know,” Aimee Toffee posted accusatorily. Thompson replied that she was bought out by no one, and was simply working on established legal principles at play.

“Do you work for the people of Front Royal, or for Valley Health? It sounds to me like you’re the one with the conflict of interest. Remember, you work for the people, not the medical oligarchs … When the people of Front Royal vote to take out the trash, you will understand why you are out of a job,” Brad McDowell wrote, drawing a chiding from another commenter – “no they don’t (in response to McDowell’s assertion a majority of town and county citizens support Lloyd’s “Emergency Ordinances” against private sector vaccination mandates) and your comment about taking out the trash is ugly though not surprising,” Lissa Hubbard said in Thompson’s defense.

Even a recently appointed Warren County School Board member chimed in: “What’s your issue with this? A councilman actually HELPING people. Selfless actions to help others and not line pockets. Novel idea,” Melanie Salins wrote of her perception of Lloyd’s activities.

There was plenty more, sometimes reflecting the August 23, and before that July 26, meeting public comments, showing the deep philosophical divide on the issue, as well as the religious overtone of some anti-vax-mandate supporters. In fact, the propensity of religious-toned comments and prayerful support on the “Unified Non-Compliance Public” website led to one post asking, “What religion is against vaccines?”

Organizational resistance

We asked Lloyd about the membership of the Valley Health Workers Association. Lloyd put us in contact with another board member, Brittany Watson, who said the group currently has six members, three nurse practitioners and three RN’s (Registered Nurses), two of whom work at Winchester Medical Center, and one of whom is a nursing supervisor.

Asked about any hope of legally challenging the approaching employee vaccination deadline Valley Health has announced, Watson told us, “I don’t think there is a way to stop or get in the way of the firing. We have been picketing about three times weekly at the WMC (Winchester Medical Center) entrance one. We have a lot of support from the community. I don’t think VH is willing to listen to our concerns. It appears they are going to lose a good amount of staff. Currently, they are having trouble with staffing and this is why there have been 8-hour waits in the ER. There is no staff upstairs to place the people in the ER and this is before staff is fired.”

‘Unified Non-Compliance Public’ social media page illustrating its work organizing demonstrations and ‘strikes’ against Valley Health’s approaching vaccine mandate deadline of Sept. 7.

We also asked if the recent FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine might soften some of the protesting health care workers’ objections to being vaccinated. “The FDA will not soften the groups’ stance at all,” Watson replied, adding, “This is the fastest approval on a vaccine ever. The other vaccine that was pushed through the quickest was 5 years and that was the ebola vaccine. The mRNA has never been used in humans and the trials are still in the process until 2023. The vaccine has been pushed out in 8 months. This is not enough time to have studies for long-term effects. Many things have been approved by the FDA which were pulled off or have big warnings.”

And so the debate continues in municipal meeting rooms, social media platforms, and on the streets outside Valley Health facilities as the clock ticks toward the September 7 first vaccination deadline the regional medical and health care provider has given its employees to make a final decision on their continued employment. It is a decision that will be made as the region, like the nation, deals with the Stage Four, more contagious Delta variant COVID-19 surge now termed by the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) as “a pandemic of the unvaccinated”. As previously reported, the CDC has cited 98% to 99% of all new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths as occurring among unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated people.

Of course, if you don’t believe anything that comes out of federal, medical, scientific, or news agencies about the pandemic, such characterizations are little more than baseless “Deep State” propaganda designed to build fear to cause people to risk their health, rather than protect it, by becoming vaccinated.

Top of Facebook pages of Letasha Thompson, above, and Scott Lloyd, below, as of Aug. 25 when Thompson elaborated on her colleague’s work on behalf of anti-vax Valley Health employees as he was forwarding legislation on their behalf – Conflict of Interest? – A ruling from the State Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council is being awaited.

In loosely related news, this weekend Senate Intel Committee Chair Mark Warner issued a release commenting on the publication of an unclassified Intelligence report summary on conclusions about the origin of the COVID-19 Coronavirus. See Warner’s statement and the full text of the Intelligence report.