Police Commissioner Johnathan Smith has refused to comment on news that Bermuda-retained pathologist Dr. Valerie Rao has lost her position as a Medical Examiner in Florida.

Dr. Rao is often retained by the Bermuda Police to conduct autopsies in suspicious deaths. Most recently she conducted the autopsy on six-month old Cassidy Salahuddin which led Police to charge her father with murder. And Bermuda Police had to release five men held in custody in connection with the death of Eugene (Uncle Josh) Smith, after she examined his body and determined he had died of natural causes.

News of Dr. Rao's ousting featured in Florida's St. Petersburg Times yesterday, and detailed how, at a meeting of the Medical Examiners Commission for the state, various commissioners, including two sheriff's and funeral home operators voiced complaints against her.

Among the allegations were accounts from some law enforcement officials that Dr. Rao had "walked barefoot through a bloodied crime scene, probed a victim's bullet wound with an ungloved hand, and poked another victim's wound with a tree branch".

Yesterday from her Florida office Dr. Rao shot down the accusations as ridiculous.

"I am from India. We are so fussy that we remove our shoes before entering a home and we keep them outside," she said.

"How do you think I could ever dream of walking barefoot through blood?

"This is bullshit. I would never in today's age of Aids and Sars and hepatitis, consider not wearing gloves."

Dr. Rao said she was shocked and upset by the accusations which were made in front of her at the meeting of the Medical Examiners Commission but that they were born out of a "small town USA" mentality.

She said that she has "struggled for three years" to improve standards of the office which she said the local sheriffs did not appreciate necessitated that her office be independent.

"I do not reflect the population here," she said. "It's a very small town. I've tried my best but they want to tell the medical examiner what to do. They want to dictate cause of death, but this office has to be independent and operate without their interference."

According to The Daily Commercial newspaper, Dr. Rao replaced Dr. Susan Rendon in the post. Dr. Rendon had succeeded her father, Dr. William Shutze who was accused of spending little time working in the Leesburg office, staying at his home in Maine. Dr. Rendon quit suddenly after being denied the job on a permanent basis amid the accusations that she and her father had misused the office.

"I have tried to bring some standards to a total chaotic situation but they were not appreciative at all," Dr. Rao said yesterday. "They want things to be like they were here three years ago when this office was in complete shambles."

Emphatic that she would not stay in the post until a replacement was found Dr. Rao said she had "no idea" where she might go next. But she responded favourably when asked if she would entertain the idea of working in Bermuda.

"I would. Bermuda is a very progressive place and I have worked well with authorities there," she said.

Her contract in District 5 expires at the end of next month and she said until she speaks with her boss, Commissioner Weldon Cadwell, she was unclear exactly what she would do.

"I have a great sense of loyalty to him and I would not consider doing anything until I meet and speak with him first," she said. " He is on holiday at the moment as one of his children graduated. He was not at the meeting but will be back at work on Monday."

Dr. Rao said she was inundated with calls from supporters after the news broke yesterday.

"They are saying that I was `railroaded' at the meeting," she said. And she added that she has documentation that can refute their allegations.

"Unfortunately I had no idea they were going to bring it up or else I would have brought documentation to the meeting," she said. "I am a commissioner and was at the meeting but it was not on the agenda. It was a total shock when these two men began to spew forth. It's small-town USA. I am just so unhappy and disappointed."