Minnesota surgeon fired after saying parents should make children's healthcare decisions

A longtime Minnesota general surgeon was dismissed from his hospital after arguing parents should make healthcare decisions for their children.

The regional health provider, Lake Region Healthcare, confirmed that Dr. Jeffrey Horak no longer works there as of Wednesday. The company did not specify the reason for his departure, but the doctor recently made comments regarding parents making healthcare decisions for their children.

"I am a man who believes individuals have the right to do their research and decide what is best for them and their children when it comes to their health," Horak told the Wahpeton Daily News of his dismissal. "I don't believe governments or institutions should dictate that. It's a position I've always have taken. And when the science doesn't make sense to me, it's hard for me to go along."

The Fergus Falls school district's Oct. 11 board meeting attracted relatively high attendance due to fallout from its 10-day mandatory mask policy. Horak made an appearance at the meeting, suggesting parents be allowed to make healthcare decisions for themselves. While there, he also discussed a monkey at a Detroit zoo that can tie knots, a reference some deemed racist.