Voicemail to former state vaccine official: ‘Get the f*** out of Tennessee, you pile of garbage’

The voicemail, from an anonymous male, played in federal court for the first time Friday.
WSMV's Jeremy Finley reports.
Published: Mar. 10, 2023 at 6:18 PM CST
Email This Link
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Just after the story broke in July 2021 about her termination, Dr. Michelle Fiscus’s husband, Brad, received a voicemail.

“You know Brad,” a man began, “You and your fat, f****** c*** wife didn’t have to be so f******* worried about Covid if you hit the g****** gym once a week.”

The voicemail, from an anonymous male, played in federal court for the first time Friday as attorneys for Fiscus’ and the state both asked a judge to rule in their favor in a lawsuit seeking to clear the name of the former top vaccine expert.

The voicemail was played as proof of the hostility that Fiscus and her family faced after she was terminated by the state health department in 2021.

Adding to the controversy at the time was Fiscus’ claim that she was sent a muzzle in July 2021 from an anonymous sender to her state office before her termination.

While a series of reporting by WSMV4 Investigate proved that Fiscus did not send the muzzle to herself, Fiscus still faced scrutiny about her sharing of a memo about the state’s mature minor doctrine.

That policy states minors 14 and older can get medical care, including receiving a Covid shot, without parental consent.

The threatening voicemail referenced her sharing of the memo.

“Holy f***, what kind of authority do you fat f****** pigs have to try to tell people how to live their lives in a healthy fashion? Look at yourselves. You’re both morbidly obese f**** slobs,” the man said.

Fiscus was ultimately terminated after the state health department blamed her “unwillingness to consult with superiors.”

Her termination was also referenced in the voicemail to Brad Fiscus. “Eat s***, your dumb c*** wife got busted. You’re a f***** p***** because you can’t manage your dumb b**** wife with a strong pimp hand because you’re a fat soy boy f***,” the man said. “Eat s*** Brad! Get the f*** out of Tennessee you pile of garbage. F*** you.”

Fiscus told WSMV4 Investigates along the voicemail, the scrutiny in Williamson County they faced where Brad Fiscus was on the school board and additional hostility made them leave the state.

Fiscus’ lawsuit seeks to force the state to clear her name.

Her attorneys argued in court that the state stigmatized and defamed her by choosing not to simply terminate her but put the reasons in a memo that would become subject to open records requests.

Attorneys for the state health department argued that the voicemail was not “indicative of the community,” and that Fiscus’ termination did not harm her ability to get new employment, as she received multiple job offers.

Attorney for the state also said that Fiscus tried to funnel state money to her own non-profit.

Judge Waverly D Crenshaw, Jr. ultimately ruled that neither side had proven summary judgement, a term used to declare that one side of a lawsuit had such prevailing evidence and cause that they should immediately win the case.

Instead, he said that a jury will have to make that decision when the trial begins on May 16.

You can read all of WSMV4′s investigations into Fiscus’ case here.