Family physician, mask advocate and avid Twitter user Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth has been elected as a trustee on the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.
According to unofficial results from the City of Ottawa, Kaplan-Myrth received 50.74% of the votes, beating rival Jessie-Lee Wallace who received 41.51% of the votes and Josh Rachlis who received 7.75%.
Following her win, Kaplan-Myrth tweeted, “thanks for your support. It will be an honour to work with amazing colleagues, children, youth, families, educators. I’m ready for this journey with Ottawa. There’s a lot to be done. Let’s go!”
Kaplan-Myrth ran on a progressive platform that committed to equity, accountability, as well as environmental and social responsibility.
Her website also stated that “all our tools” should be used to address Covid in schools – including masks, ventilation, HEPA filters, testing, case reporting, isolation and vaccines. Additionally, she said N-95 masks should be made accessible to all students.
On Twitter, Kaplan-Myrth has repeatedly called for the masking of children – as well as masks for the general population.
Kaplan-Myrth recently stated on Twitter that she intends to “continue to mask forever” to prevent the spread of Covid.
The Ottawa doctor is known for her infamous appearance on a TVO panel, in which she wore a mask throughout the entirety of the virtual interview while she sat in a room by herself.
During the TVO panel, Kaplan-Myrth claimed that the word “normal” is a language used by the far-right and ableists.
“The language that you use when you say something like ‘normal’ is a far-right language of anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers and abelists who disregard the impact of Covid on seniors, on children, on educators, on essential workers, on healthcare workers, on our healthcare crisis,” Kaplan-Myrth told TVO’s Steve Paikin.
In addition to making provocative statements, Kaplan-Myrth received criticism after it was alleged she sent emails about her trustee campaign to her patients.
Kaplan-Myrth defended the emails, saying her intent was to assure patients that her campaign for school trustee would not result in her abandoning her medical practice.
True North had reached out to Kaplan-Myrth at the time of controversy for additional comment, but did not receive a response.
During the campaign, Kaplan-Myrth also came under fire after she said she sent one of her kids to private school so “he could get a one-on-one education.”
Kaplan-Myrth’s trustee campaign received several endorsements from prominent progressive individuals and organizations; including NDP MPP Joel Harden, failed mayoral candidate Catherine McKenney, United Church minister and queer activist Cheri DiNovo, as well as the Disrupting Anti-Black Racism Action Committee and Horizon Ottawa.
The City of Ottawa says the official results of the municipal election are expected on or before Oct. 28.
