Jennifer Scott has been suspended from practice since September 2022 and yesterday her case was called before the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.
The Nursing Council of New Zealand was flooded with complaints following a protracted online campaign of hatred and a controversial public submission regarding Moana Pool’s changing-room policy.
When informed of the disciplinary action, Ms Scott posted online the names of her complainants and wrote: "BRING IT ON!!!" But when proceedings began yesterday, she was absent.
An hour’s delay to the tribunal case and a phone call confirmed Ms Scott did not plan to attend.
In July 2022, the former mental-health nurse told the Dunedin City Council, via Zoom, that "gender dysphoria ... is a mental illness and should be treated as such, not celebrated and medicalised for profit", expressing concerns about the safety of the city’s women.
Others in the profession felt by advertising herself as a registered nurse, Ms Scott was trying legitimise her fringe views, or make it appear as though it was a common line of thought in the profession.
Counsel representing the Nursing Council’s professional conduct committee Matthew McClelland, KC, yesterday described her tirades as "grossly inappropriate, totally offensive, transphobic, derogatory and nothing short of hate speech".
Ms Scott showed she was willing to share her opinions in person, too.
In December 2022, a Dunedin man and his non-binary partner were dining at a local Cambodian restaurant when she showed up to collect some food.
The man, who was granted name suppression, said he was aware of Ms Scott from her extreme social-media posts.
"She was not subtle and glared at us the whole time she was waiting to pick up her order."
As Ms Scott was leaving, she confronted the couple, the tribunal heard.
"Are you trying to be a woman? You will never be a woman," she said, before labelling them "perverts".
The witness described her as "very repetitive, shrill" and said it had a severe impact on his partner.
Mr McClelland said there was no way a nurse could justify such behaviour.
"Her conduct towards the LGBTQIA+ community both online and in person was nothing short of an out-and-out attack. For Ms Scott to claim that she is advocating for women is an absolute nonsense," he said.
"Based on Ms Scott’s statements regarding transgender people, and her tendency to accost members of the public, it is clear it would be extremely unsafe for her to be practising as a nurse in an area where it is highly likely she would be required to provide care to members of a community which she has relentlessly targeted ..."
Ms Scott stopped practising as a nurse when she refused to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
The committee said it was not concerned about her personal choice, more with her use of emotive language in her open Facebook page "blatantly intended to incite fear and deter people from receiving the vaccine".
In January 2022, she posted baseless claims that 127 New Zealanders had died from being vaccinated and later took aim at epidemiologist Prof Michael Baker, a vocal advocate for the vaccine.
"I have a good pair of scissors waiting just for you," Ms Scott wrote.
When contacted by the Otago Daily Times yesterday she made a brief statement, but refused to say why she did not attend the hearing.
"All charges or allegations made are of no substance," she said.
Evidence before the tribunal will conclude today.
Timeline
2010: Jennifer Scott completes bachelor of nursing at Otago Polytechnic.
Dec 2021: Writes on Facebook the Nursing Council is complicit in "corruption".
Jan 2022: Makes unsubstantiated claims 127 have died in New Zealand due to the Covid-19 vaccine; publishes a string of anti-trans posts.
July: Ms Scott tells the Dunedin City Council gender dysphoria is "a mental illness"; berates members of the rainbow community during Octagon protest.
Aug: Nursing Council receives slew of complaints.
Sept: Practising certificate is suspended; graffities "woman = adult human female xx" outside a bar.
Dec: Ms Scott accosts couple in a Dunedin restaurant.
Mar 2023: Fails to renew practising certificate.
