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Jones graduated ''[[cum laude]]'' from the [[S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications]] and [[Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs]] at [[Syracuse University]] with dual degrees in earth science and journalism in 2012. She received a dual master's degree in geography and mass communication at [[Louisiana State University]] in 2014.<ref name="Alumna Tracks"/>
Jones graduated ''[[cum laude]]'' from the [[S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications]] and [[Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs]] at [[Syracuse University]] with dual degrees in earth science and journalism in 2012. She received a dual master's degree in geography and mass communication at [[Louisiana State University]] in 2014.<ref name="Alumna Tracks"/>


Jones was also a [[Postgraduate education|graduate student]] in the Department of Geography at [[Florida State University]] from 2016 through 2018<ref name="Accusations Fly"/> where she completed course work with an emphasis on data science and was working on a doctoral dissertation titled ''Using Native American Sitescapes to Extend the North American Paleotempestological Record Through Coupled Remote Sensing and Climatological Analysis''.<ref name="Dedicated scientist" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fsu.academia.edu/RebekahJones|title=Rebekah Jones Academic Record|website=Academia.edu|access-date=19 June 2020|last=Jones |first=Rebekah D.}}</ref><ref name="Accusations Fly" /> Rebekah Jones was suspended and fired from FSU before she could finish her doctorate, for having an inappropriate relationship with a student in her office.<ref>{{cite web |title=The “Florida COVID-19 Whistleblower” Saga Is a Big Lie. |url=https://humanevents.com/2021/02/02/the-florida-covid-19-whistleblower-saga-is-a-big-lie/ |website=Human Events |access-date=7 April 2021 |language=en |date=2 February 2021}}</ref>
Jones was also a [[Postgraduate education|graduate student]] in the Department of Geography at [[Florida State University]] from 2016 through 2018<ref name="Accusations Fly"/> where she completed course work with an emphasis on data science and was working on a doctoral dissertation titled ''Using Native American Sitescapes to Extend the North American Paleotempestological Record Through Coupled Remote Sensing and Climatological Analysis''.<ref name="Dedicated scientist" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fsu.academia.edu/RebekahJones|title=Rebekah Jones Academic Record|website=Academia.edu|access-date=19 June 2020|last=Jones |first=Rebekah D.}}</ref><ref name="Accusations Fly" /> Rebekah Jones was suspended and fired from FSU before she could finish her doctorate, for having sex with a student in her office.<ref>{{cite web |title=The “Florida COVID-19 Whistleblower” Saga Is a Big Lie. |url=https://humanevents.com/2021/02/02/the-florida-covid-19-whistleblower-saga-is-a-big-lie/ |website=Human Events |access-date=7 April 2021 |language=en |date=2 February 2021}}</ref>


In September 2018, she became a geographic information system analyst at [[Florida Department of Health]] in Tallahassee.<ref name="Alumna Tracks"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.academia.edu/42167864 |title=Quantifying the Impact of Hurricanes, Mid-Latitude Cyclones and Other Weather and Climate Extreme Events on the Mississippi-Alabama Barrier Islands Using Remotely Sensed Data B.A|last=Jones|first=Rebekah D.|website=[[Academia.edu]]|access-date=14 June 2020}}</ref> From November 2019 until May 2020, Jones was GIS manager for the Florida Department of Health, where she assisted in creating a geospatial presentation for [[Hurricane Michael]].<ref>{{cite conference |url=https://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/proc19/index.html |title=Florida Department of Health's Hurricane Michael GIS Response |last1=Hinson|first1=Parker |last2=Jones|first2=Rebekah |date=2019 |place=San Diego, California|conference=Esri User Conference 2019|access-date=2020-12-08}}</ref> She used [[Geographic information system]] software to create Florida Department of Health's COVID-19 dashboard.<ref name="Tampabay"/><ref name="Alumna Tracks"/><ref name="Dedicated scientist" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-12|title=Rebekah Jones @GeoRebekah , the fired GIS data scientist from Florida, Launches new #Coronavirus Dashboard, FloridaCOVIDAction|url=https://gisuser.com/2020/06/rebekah-jones-georebekah-the-fired-gis-data-scientist-from-florida-launches-new-coronavirus-dashboard-floridacovidaction/|access-date=2020-07-07|website=GISuser.com}}</ref>
In September 2018, she became a geographic information system analyst at [[Florida Department of Health]] in Tallahassee.<ref name="Alumna Tracks"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.academia.edu/42167864 |title=Quantifying the Impact of Hurricanes, Mid-Latitude Cyclones and Other Weather and Climate Extreme Events on the Mississippi-Alabama Barrier Islands Using Remotely Sensed Data B.A|last=Jones|first=Rebekah D.|website=[[Academia.edu]]|access-date=14 June 2020}}</ref> From November 2019 until May 2020, Jones was GIS manager for the Florida Department of Health, where she assisted in creating a geospatial presentation for [[Hurricane Michael]].<ref>{{cite conference |url=https://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/proc19/index.html |title=Florida Department of Health's Hurricane Michael GIS Response |last1=Hinson|first1=Parker |last2=Jones|first2=Rebekah |date=2019 |place=San Diego, California|conference=Esri User Conference 2019|access-date=2020-12-08}}</ref> She used [[Geographic information system]] software to create Florida Department of Health's COVID-19 dashboard.<ref name="Tampabay"/><ref name="Alumna Tracks"/><ref name="Dedicated scientist" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-12|title=Rebekah Jones @GeoRebekah , the fired GIS data scientist from Florida, Launches new #Coronavirus Dashboard, FloridaCOVIDAction|url=https://gisuser.com/2020/06/rebekah-jones-georebekah-the-fired-gis-data-scientist-from-florida-launches-new-coronavirus-dashboard-floridacovidaction/|access-date=2020-07-07|website=GISuser.com}}</ref>

Revision as of 15:47, 13 May 2021

Rebekah D. Jones
Jones in 2020
BornJuly 1989 (age 35)[1]
NationalityAmerican
Alma materSyracuse University[2]
Louisiana State University
Florida State University
Scientific career
FieldsGeography, data science
Websitegeojones.org Edit this at Wikidata

Rebekah D. Jones (born July 1989) is an American data scientist and geographer, specializing in using geographic information system (GIS) data science to track hurricanes, epidemiology, and climatology. She received significant media attention after she was fired from her job at the Department of Health in Florida in 2020, which she claims was due to her refusal to hide COVID-19 data. This has led some to call her a whistleblower,[3][4] though this title has also been challenged by others who question the substance of her claims.[5][6]

Education and career

Jones graduated cum laude from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University with dual degrees in earth science and journalism in 2012. She received a dual master's degree in geography and mass communication at Louisiana State University in 2014.[2]

Jones was also a graduate student in the Department of Geography at Florida State University from 2016 through 2018[7] where she completed course work with an emphasis on data science and was working on a doctoral dissertation titled Using Native American Sitescapes to Extend the North American Paleotempestological Record Through Coupled Remote Sensing and Climatological Analysis.[8][9][7] Rebekah Jones was suspended and fired from FSU before she could finish her doctorate, for having sex with a student in her office.[10]

In September 2018, she became a geographic information system analyst at Florida Department of Health in Tallahassee.[2][11] From November 2019 until May 2020, Jones was GIS manager for the Florida Department of Health, where she assisted in creating a geospatial presentation for Hurricane Michael.[12] She used Geographic information system software to create Florida Department of Health's COVID-19 dashboard.[1][2][8][13]

Firing from the Florida Department of Health

On May 5th, Jones was fired from her position at the Florida Department of Health.[14] She claimed that the state pressured her to strategically align COVID-19 case data with Florida's goal to reopen the state, and launched an independent COVID-19 data dashboard for the state of Florida in response.[5] Jones did not challenge the state's data on cases, deaths, hospitalizations, or testing, and she used data from the state in her own dashboard.[15] Her initial allegations amounted to disagreements about the method by which the state computed test positivity rates, which had been previously announced on April 24th, as well as a state policy on reopening of rural counties which was permitted under federal guidelines.[16]

Her dashboard also differed from the state in how it presented tests: her dashboard counted the number of people tested, while the state counted the number of tests administered. Jones also alleged that the state ordered her to delete positive test results from January 2020. A spokesperson for the Department of Health responded that the dates Jones referred to were "event dates" which corresponded to dates when individuals may have come into contact with the virus, rather than dates when they tested positive. The spokesperson also criticized Jones' COVID-19 dashboard for including antibody tests for counting virus tests with antibody tests and for counting non-resident deaths.[15]

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has denied the allegations, saying that she has provided no evidence.[17] The governor claimed that she was dismissed for making unilateral decisions about the dashboard without consulting others on the team.[18]

Police execute search warrant and arrest

On December 7, 2020, at 8:30 a.m., state police entered Jones' home, where they confiscated electronic devices including her personal phone and laptop computer. She posted video of the encounter on Twitter taken from a home security camera.[19][20] Florida Department of Law Enforcement said in a statement later that day that a search warrant was issued because Jones was suspected of hacking into a Florida Department of Health computer system and sending an unauthorized message to members of the State Emergency Response Team on November 10, 2020.[21] The alleged statement urged recipients to "speak up before another 17,000 people are dead".[22]

In a press interview later that morning, Jones denied sending the unauthorized message. She stated that because the authorities seized only her personal electronic devices and not other electronics in her house that could have been used to send the unauthorized message, she does not think she was the target of the investigation at all, but rather that her phone was seized so authorities could identify the Florida Department of Health workers with whom she had been communicating, including her confidential sources.[23]

On January 16, 2021, an arrest warrant was issued for Jones by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement claiming she illegally breached state systems and downloaded the confidential contact information for nearly 20,000 people and sent a message to state employees telling them to "speak out." Jones stated she was not allowed to speak to the media about the charges because it could "result in the police 'stacking' additional charges".[24][25] Jones turned herself in on January 18 to the police, after which she tested positive for COVID.[26]

Dropped lawsuit

Jones filed a lawsuit on December 20, 2020[27] against the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Commissioner Rick Swearingen[28] alleging that the police obtained a "sham" search warrant whose true purpose was to retaliate against her. Her suit claimed that one of the FDLE agents grabbed her "without consent, authorization, or legitimate basis" while searching her home.[29] She also alleged that the FDLE violated her First Amendment free speech rights, and had performed an unlawful search and seizure when they confiscated computers and her personal cell phone.[27] Attorneys for Jones sought damages and a jury trial, stating in the 19-page lawsuit, which was filed in Leon County court, that "They entered her home with guns drawn, terrorizing her family."[28]. On Feb 6, 2021, court records show Jones dropped the lawsuit against the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, although the disposition of her seized property remains unresolved.[30] Body camera footage was later released by FDLE, disputing the claim of "guns drawn." [31]

Jones has had prior criminal charges in Florida. At the time of the police raid, Jones was facing an active misdemeanor charge for allegedly cyberstalking a former student and romantic partner and for publishing sexual details about their relationship online. She was fired from her Florida State University teaching position for threatening to fail her estranged romantic partner’s roommate. She had also faced prior charges, including felony robbery, trespass, and contempt of court, stemming from an alleged violation of a domestic violence restraining order related to the same ex-boyfriend, but those charges were dropped. Prior to that incident in 2017 Jones had been arrested and charged with criminal mischief for vandalizing her former romantic partner’s SUV, but those charges were later dropped, as well.[32][33][34][5] Jones also faced criminal charges in Louisiana in 2016, where she was arrested and charged by the LSU Police Department with one count each of battery on a police officer and remaining after forbidden and two counts of resisting arrest after refusing to vacate a Louisiana State University office upon being dismissed from her staff position.[35][36]

Awards and honors

In 2020, Jones was recognized by Fortune magazine's 40 Under 40 in Healthcare for founding Florida COVID Action.[37] On December 26 that year, Jones was named Forbes' Technology Person of the Year.[38]

References

  1. ^ a b Taylor, Langston (May 22, 2020). "Ousted manager was told to manipulate COVID-19 data before state's re-opening, she says". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 15, 2020. Jones was 30 years old in May 2020
  2. ^ a b c d Cox, Jay (March 31, 2020). "Alumna Tracks the COVID-19 Outbreak". Syracuse.edu. Syracuse University. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  3. ^ Sassoon, Alessandro Marazzi. "DOH whistleblower Rebekah Jones 'turning herself in' to face new charge". Florida Today. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  4. ^ Bloch, Emily. "Rebekah Jones Tried to Warn Us About COVID-19. Now Her Freedom Is on the Line". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Mazzei, Patricia (December 11, 2020). "A State Scientist Questioned Florida's Virus Data. Now Her Home's Been Raided". The New York Times. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  6. ^ Pushaw, Christina. "The "Florida COVID-19 Whistleblower" Saga Is a Big Lie". Human Events. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Sassoon, Alessandro Marazzi; Waymer, Jim (May 21, 2020). "Accusations fly around dismissed Health Department official, but questions about COVID-19 data persist". Florida Today. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Geraghty, Este; Lanclos, Ryan (April 20, 2020). "COVID-19: Dedicated Scientist in Florida Made Quick Moves to Map the Disease". Esri Blog. Environmental Systems Research Institute. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  9. ^ Jones, Rebekah D. "Rebekah Jones Academic Record". Academia.edu. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  10. ^ "The "Florida COVID-19 Whistleblower" Saga Is a Big Lie". Human Events. February 2, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  11. ^ Jones, Rebekah D. "Quantifying the Impact of Hurricanes, Mid-Latitude Cyclones and Other Weather and Climate Extreme Events on the Mississippi-Alabama Barrier Islands Using Remotely Sensed Data B.A". Academia.edu. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  12. ^ Hinson, Parker; Jones, Rebekah (2019). Florida Department of Health's Hurricane Michael GIS Response. Esri User Conference 2019. San Diego, California. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  13. ^ "Rebekah Jones @GeoRebekah , the fired GIS data scientist from Florida, Launches new #Coronavirus Dashboard, FloridaCOVIDAction". GISuser.com. June 12, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  14. ^ Sassoon, Alessandro Marazzi. "Florida scientist was fired for 'refusing to manipulate' COVID-19 data, she said". Florida Today. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  15. ^ a b Iati, Marisa (June 16, 2020). "Florida fired its coronavirus data scientist. Now she's publishing the statistics on her own". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  16. ^ Farrington, Brendan; Calvan, Bobby Caina (May 23, 2020). "Public remarks prompted Florida virus data curator's firing". Associated Press. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  17. ^ "Home of fired Florida data scientist who built COVID dashboard raided by FDLE". WESH. December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  18. ^ Mansoor, Sanya (June 15, 2020). "Fired Florida Data Scientist Creates Competing COVID-19 Tracking Site and Suggests State Is Hiding Important Information". Time. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  19. ^ Chute, Nate (December 7, 2020). "Watch video of FDLE agents entering Rebekah Jones' home with guns drawn". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  20. ^ Jones, Rebekah [@GeoRebekah] (December 8, 2020). "1/ There will be no update today. At 8:30 am this morning, state police came into my house and took all my hardware and tech. They were serving a warrant on my computer after DOH filed a complaint. They pointed a gun in my face. They pointed guns at my kids." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  21. ^ Klas, Mary Ellen; Ceballos, Ana (December 7, 2020). "Did COVID data whistleblower hack Florida's emergency alert system? Police raid home". Miami Herald. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  22. ^ Ross, Allison (November 27, 2020). "Florida's emergency communications channel hacked, according to state official". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  23. ^ "Florida police raid home of former Covid-19 scientist". Cuomo Prime Time. CNN. December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  24. ^ Davis, Jason (January 16, 2021). "Arrest warrant issued for former Florida Dept. of Health analyst Rebekah Jones". WPTV-TV. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  25. ^ Saunders, Forrest. "Experts predict challenging legal battle for former state of Florida employee Rebekah Jones". Florida Today. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= requires |archive-url= (help)
  26. ^ Burnside, Tina; Yan, Holly. "Fired Florida data scientist Rebekah Jones turns herself in to jail and tests positive for Covid-19". CNN. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  27. ^ a b Grenoble, Ryan (December 22, 2020). "Florida Data Scientist Rebekah Jones Files Suit Over 'Sham' Raid". HuffPost. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  28. ^ a b Burke, Peter (December 21, 2020). "Attorneys for Rebekah Jones call FDLE raid 'a sham' in lawsuit". WPTV. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  29. ^ Devine, Curt (December 21, 2020). "Fired Florida Covid data scientist's lawsuit calls search of her home 'retaliation'". CNN. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  30. ^ Tampa Bay, 10 (February 8, 2021). "Rebekah Jones, former coronavirus data worker, drops lawsuit against FDLE". WTSP. Retrieved February 8, 2021. {{cite news}}: |first= has numeric name (help)
  31. ^ {{cite news |last=Tallahassee Democrat|first=Jeffry|date=10 December 2020|title=Rebekah Jones: Questions linger over FDLE handling of search warrant as bodycam video released |url=https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/state/2020/12/10/rebekah-jones-body-camera-video-released-search-tallahassee-home/6507491002/
  32. ^ "Criminal Stalking Case Against Fired Florida Health Data Scientist To Drag Into August". WUFT (TV). July 22, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  33. ^ Desai, Jigsha (December 8, 2020). "Who is Rebekah Jones? Former Florida COVID-19 data scientist had home raided by authorities". USA Today. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  34. ^ Armus, Teo; Iati, Marisa (December 9, 2020). "GOP lawyer appointed by Florida governor resigns state panel in protest over raid on ousted data scientist's home". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  35. ^ "FDLE Chief Defends Agents, Says Jones' 'Conspiracy' Allegation 'Sounds Ridiculous'". WUSF. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  36. ^ "Staff member booked after altercation with LSUPD officers". The Daily Reveille. July 5, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  37. ^ "Rebekah Jones | 2020 40 under 40 in Health". Fortune. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  38. ^ Popkin, Helen A. S. (December 26, 2020). "Forbes Technology Awards 2020: Geeks Step Up When Governments Fail". Forbes. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  • Official website Edit this at Wikidata
  • Florida COVID Action – Jones' alternate COVID-19 dashboard for the state of Florida
  • The COVID Monitor – US statewide website founded by the Florida COVID Action project for "the nation's most comprehensive COVID-19 dataset focusing on coronavirus cases in every K-12 school district in the U.S.A."
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