From the New York Post: A medical center caught in the crosshairs of an internet meltdown caused by one of its employees who cussed out a Target worker for wearing a Charlie Kirk T-shirt said that it was overwhelmed by thousands of “profanity-laced” messages.
Mike Wiltermood, president and CEO of California-based Enloe Health, said at a press conference Wednesday that the medical center had received more than 6,000 “profanity-laced” messages since the video went viral earlier in the day.
Wiltermood pleaded with the public to stop calling the center’s primary phone number, as the repeated calls “impeded our ability to serve patients and their families.”
In the viral clip that sparked the firestorm, a woman employed by Enloe Health asks an elderly Target worker why the “f–k” she is sporting a red shirt, which reads “Freedom” with Charlie Kirk’s name underneath. She also accuses the woman of supporting “a racist,” according to the video.
In a Facebook post, Enloe Health wrote, “Enloe Health acknowledges that the off-hours behavior by a medical assistant employed in one of our outpatient clinics, as depicted in a recent social media post, was abhorrent and deeply concerning to our caregivers, our organization, and our community. The Target employee who was verbally accosted in this post deserves significant credit for handling the situation in a calm and collected manner.”
“We appreciate the many individuals who have seen this post and exercised restraint as they voice their personal views regarding this situation. Unfortunately, thousands of others have chosen to use profanity-laced language to express their disapproval to Enloe caregivers. These comments have overwhelmed our phone systems, impeding our ability to serve patients and their families,” they lamented.
“The behavior depicted in this video does not mirror Enloe Health’s core values, and we are committed to doing what is right by taking the actions necessary to protect our patients and community. At this time, we ask for patience, grace, and civility as we do so,” the facility pleaded.
“As part of our policy and commitment to confidentiality, Enloe Health does not provide comments or statements regarding individual employees or personnel matters,” the statement read.
In the press conference on Wednesday, Wiltermood declined to say whether their employee, Michelea Ponce, has been terminated or not, but begged the public to please stop calling their main phone line, as it is interfering with serving their patients.
A GiveSendGo account set up to help Jeanie Beeman has already raised over $221,000 as of this report, and it’s still growing.
In an interview with the media, Beeman graciously said although her attacker was wrong, she doesn’t want her to lose her job over it.
“Two wrongs don’t make a right,” Beeman said.
NEW: Ms. Jeanie Beeman speaks out after being harassed over her Charlie Kirk shirt at Target and says she does not want her attacker fired.
“Two wrongs don’t make a right. She wronged me, but I don’t want to wrong her. I really wouldn’t want to see her lose her job over it.”… pic.twitter.com/FZumZoSjd9
— David J Harris Jr (@DavidJHarrisJr) December 18, 2025
Meanwhile, Ponce has issued a statement of ‘apology.’ Her full apology was released by ActionNewsNow.com:
“I want to take full responsibility for my actions and say clearly and sincerely that I was wrong. I behaved badly, and I regret it deeply. I want to directly apologize to Jeannie. I am truly sorry for approaching you at your workplace and putting you in an uncomfortable and unfair position. You did not deserve that, and my behavior was wrong.
I also apologize to Jeannie’s family for the stress and attention my actions caused. I apologize to Target as her employer, I apologize to Enloe, and I apologize to the Chico community. I understand that what I did reflected poorly on myself and disrupted a sense of safety and respect that should exist in a workplace and in our community.
I did not handle the situation the way I should have. I allowed my emotions to take over instead of choosing restraint and empathy. That was my failure, and I own it.
I regret my actions, and I am genuinely sorry for the harm they caused. I wish I can go back and undo what happened, but I can acknowledge it honestly, learn from it, and commit to doing better moving forward.
Again, I apologize to Jeanie and I hope that she and the community can forgive me.”
Michelea Ponce, the infamous woman who verbally assaulted an elderly worker at Target, issued an apology statement to her local news station and said she deeply regrets her actions. I’m sure she does 😒. How do you feel about this apology? pic.twitter.com/KyVxM9Rst1
— Clerpatriot (@clerpatriot) December 18, 2025
READ MORE from the New York Post.
GOOD NEWS: Fundraiser skyrocketing for Target employee harassed over Charlie Kirk shirt
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