Milwaukee civil service commission upholds discharge of Kenan Health Center medical assistant

The Board of City Service Commissioners on Nov. 3, 2025, voted 5–0 to uphold the discharge of Lakena Cornelius, a medical assistant at the City of Milwaukee’s Kenan Health Center, after a hearing that examined a July 23, 2025 workplace incident and a series of prior personnel concerns.

The commission heard testimony from multiple Milwaukee Health Department officials who described an interaction in which Cornelius entered her supervisor’s office doorway on July 23 and spoke loudly and, the department said, in an aggressive, confrontational manner that disrupted clinic operations. Corey McVay, a public health nurse supervisor, testified that Cornelius was “very aggressive,” that her tone was “much more aggressive” than usual, and that her conduct disrupted patient care by drawing attention and reducing clinic efficiency.

Lindsay O’Connor, personnel officer for the Milwaukee Health Department, said the department’s investigation found a pattern of insubordination and rule…