Whistleblower claims ‘cocaine for gift cards’ plot at Philly Health Dept.

A former employee of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) is calling for the resignation and revocation of the medical license of PDPH’s current director, Dr. Kathleen Brady. Ernest Owens, an award-winning journalist and CBS Philly News contributor, shared the news on his Instagram account, revealing that Ervin Malik Simmons, a former Community Engagement and Marketing Coordinator within the Division of HIV Health (DHH) at PDPH, sent a department-wide open letter detailing an alleged toxic workplace environment riddled with drug trafficking and various forms of abuse that culminated in what he said was his wrongful termination when he raised concerns.

In the six-page letter, Simmons says he was employed from May 2026 until October 1, 2026, when he was terminated in what he calls a retaliatory firing after he requested ADA accommodations. He says he experiences workplace harassment and personal turmoil from a romantic relationship with a colleague that bled into his professional life. Simmons says everything took place under Dr. Bradley’s leadership and that she failed to act in a way that he felt protected.

According to Simmons, the department has a reputation for a hostile work environment, which he says a colleague warned him about on his first day. He also says management is ill-equipped in their diversity training and efforts, which impacts how they handle employee issues and even how staff is able to do their jobs. Simmons says marketing campaigns intended to reach minority demographics - specifically Black and brown individuals and those who identify as LGBTQ+ - were helmed by primarily cisgender white women, causing a disconnect in messaging. Upon providing feedback or proposing ideas he thought were more effective, he says he was pulled from certain marketing projects overall.

Simmons also says there are undertones of racism and sexual misconduct within the department. In one part of the letter, he mentions a fair-skinned Latino colleague named Pablo Souble calling Afro-Brazilians “Chocolates,” and saying they all have large penises.

Simmons says things went from bad to worse when he began dating a man named Antonio “Toni” McFadden, a field coordinator within the department. Simmons says he immediately disclosed his relationship with Toni to a co-worker, who then relayed the information to Dr. Brady. Per Simmons, his relationship with Toni was volatile and abusive, and he says he was subjected to intimate partner violence, was introduced to cocaine use, and witnessed Toni abuse drugs and use drugs as an incentive to clients.

Simmons claims Toni’s recruitment method involved cocaine trafficking, alleging Toni told him that he worked out an arrangement with a drug dealer who would accept $50 gift cards that research participants are given for participating in studies managed by Toni and the department as payment for cocaine. Toni would allegedly then tell the participants that if they participated in the research study, they could use the gift card to buy cocaine from Toni's dealer. He also claims that Toni informed him he had sexual relationships with some of the research study participants. Simmons says cocaine and other drug use are contributing factors in behaviors that impact people who are later diagnosed with HIV, which is why he says he was alarmed by Toni’s methods.

Simmons says he tried to warn Dr. Brady and HR about Toni, but his warnings were dismissed, and there was also a brief investigation into his abuse claims against Toni that he was not kept abreast of. He was reportedly told whatever occurred between him and Toni outside of the workplace was not relevant to their jobs or the investigation.

After ending things with Toni, he says he sought help and was diagnosed with PTSD and eventually requested the ADA accommodation to be rid of Toni’s alleged ongoing abuse and harassment in-office, but was terminated instead.

This is yet another call to action for Philadelphia Mayor Cerrelle Parker to act on. As the 100th Mayor of the city, residents were excited when Mayor Parker made history as the first woman to hold the position. However, Mayor Parker has come under severe criticism since her inauguration in January 2024. Some of the biggest pushback from residents involves her administration's approach to existing DEI efforts, tax increase proposals, and a return-to-office mandate for city workers. There have also been internal complaints from former employees, some of whom have filed federal lawsuits against the city and Mayor Parker.