COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

THE JOHN A. WILSON BUILDING

1350 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004

VINCENT C. GRAY Committee Member:

Ward 7 Councilmember Business and Economic Development
Chair, Com mittee on Health Judiciary and P ublic Safety
Co-chair, Special Com mittee on COVID -19 Pand emic Recovery

November 16, 2021

LaQuandra S. Nesbitt MD, MPH

Director, D.C. Department of Health
899 North Capitol Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002

Dear Dr. Nesbitt:

I am writing because of my concern regarding the suitability of your recent hire, Dr. Thomas
Farley, as the senior deputy director to lead DC Health’s Community Health Administration
(CHA). I have no doubt that Dr. Farley has the credentials to oversee CHA. However, the reports
of several high-profile decisions he made as the Health Commissioner of Philadelphia regarding
his alleged attempts to dispose of the remains of the MOVE 15 in the care of the Medical
Examiner’s Office and his involvement or lack of involvement in the city’s COVID testing and
vaccine distribution lead me to question if he will be a good fit for District residents and sensitive
to the unique needs and concerns of our large African American community.

I have many questions regarding his attempt to dispose of the remains of the MOVE 15. We can
all agree that the 1985 decision by the Philadelphia Police Department to firebomb a rowhouse
knowing that members of the MOVE 15 were inside led to the senseless deaths of 11 adults and 5
children. However, there are a lot of unanswered questions regarding Dr. Farley’s role with the
remains of the MOVE 15 when he became Philadelphia’s top public health official. First, was it
policy to cremate and dispose of remains left in care of the medical examiner’s office without
notifying the family and was Dr. Farley acting within his authority when he ordered the remains
with the medical examiner be disposed? Second, it is unclear if Dr. Farley appreciated the
significance of the events that led to the deaths of the MOVE 15 or the harm the disposal of their
remains would cause surviving family or the African American community. I am troubled that
when Dr. Farley learned that his orders for disposal were not initially followed, he again ordered
the disposal – without ever consulting people who have more historical understanding of the
sensitive nature of the case and a community still experiencing the effects from the horrific act by
their government.

The second concern I have is regarding Dr. Farley in his oversight role of the department and its
decision to partner with Philly Fighting COVID (PFC), an organization led by a 22-year-old
graduate student with no public health experience who was given a significant role in
Philadelphia’s COVID testing and vaccination program. A report by the city’s Office of Inspector
General found that the Health Department was aware of PFC’s flawed testing process, problems
with community relationships, lost demographic information, and critical staff turnover. While the
report absolves Dr. Farley of neglect or wrongdoing- it also describes him as “disconnected and
uninformed” and notes he expressed concerns about PFC and urged caution. It is unclear how
both findings can be true.

Both decisions are troubling in different ways. I am concerned about what appears to be a lack of
racial sensitivity and how that would reflect as the lead in the District’s outreach to the community,
particularly for African Americans who are medically underserved and experience a greater rate
of co-morbidities. I am also concerned with the work environment he created in Philadelphia that
left him uniformed of serious issues with the city’s testing and vaccine program, which should
have been his highest priority given the historical nature of this public health threat.

While I am disappointed that you did not approach the Committee or community leaders about Dr.
Farley ahead of hiring him, ultimately hiring decisions that do not require Council confirmation
lie solely with you. Already there is a significant public outcry. I urge you to discuss with
Councilmembers and the public at-large how Dr. Farley will be able meet the requirements of the
job considering his past actions. I believe that considering Dr. Farley’s history, you should explain
why you believe he would be an asset to lead CHA for DC Health. Improving community health
requires trust and we need to know that the person making public health policy has the ability,
judgment, and cultural sensitivity for our community. I am not certain Dr. Farley can meet all
these requirements, but I am available to meet with both of you to discuss these matters, and I
encourage you to also schedule meetings with my colleagues on the Committee on Health.

Sincerely,

Vincent C. Gray
Councilmember, Ward 7

Cc: Councilmembers of the District of Columbia

Muriel Bowser, Mayor of the District of Columbia
Wayne Turnage, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services
Kevin Donahue, City Administrator
John Falcicchio, Chief of Staff, Executive Office of the Mayor