A New York judge said on Wednesday, that ten employees terminated by officials with the New York City Department of Education for refusing to take the Chinese coronavirus vaccine must be reinstated. The judge also added they must also be given their backpay.
Reportedly, State Supreme Court Judge Ralph J. Porzio blasted the city’s denials of religious accommodation to certain workers. Porzio wrote in a 22-page opinion-
“This Court sees no rational basis for not allowing unvaccinated classroom teachers in amongst an admitted population of primarily unvaccinated students,”. “As such, the decision to summarily deny the classroom teachers amongst the Panel Petitioners based on an undue hardship, without any further evidence of individualized analysis, is arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable. As such, each classroom teacher amongst the Panel Petitioners is entitled to a religious exemption from the Vaccine Mandate.”
-State Supreme Court Judge Ralph J. Porzio
The case, concerned school principals, teachers and other educators who sued after city officials rejected their claims for a religious exemption to the vaccine mandate. According to Breitbart, in August 2021, city officials began requiring teachers and other workers to be vaccinated for the coronavirus, with then Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) making the announcement.
De Blasio had already forced the city’s indoor restaurants and gyms to discriminate against those who chose not to take the vaccine by denying those individuals service at their locations. Additionally, In December 2021, Catholic schools in New York City were also targeted as government officials ordered a vaccine mandate for those working in religious and private schools.
Reportedly, a New York teacher named Michael Kane, who lost his job once he refused the vaccine, said the ruling was a good thing. However he added-
“justice for only 10 of us doesn’t even scratch the surface of the injustice suffered by NYC workers as a result of this illegal mandate.”
-Michael Kane, New York Teacher
“If the First Amendment means anything, it means that a state has no business telling a man, sitting alone in his house, what books he may read or what films he may watch.”
-Thurgood Marshall