Hundreds of Los Angeles school workers have been fired for refusing to get vaccines as the district required, according to the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
As of Tuesday, 496 LAUSD employees were sacked for not complying with the district’s vaccine requirement. However, they may be eligible to get their jobs back in case they choose to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Interim Superintendent Megan Reilly released a statement following the mass firing.
“We care deeply about all of our employees. Parting ways with individuals who choose not to be vaccinated is an extremely difficult but necessary decision to ensure the safety of all in our school communities. We wish everyone the best in their future endeavors and encourage everyone to get vaccinated.”
The district, which is the second-largest in the US, formally set an October 15 deadline for its 73,000 employees to be fully vaccinated. The district, however, has eventually extended that date to November 15.
According to the district, almost 99% of LAUSD employees chose to get vaccinated as a result. Students eligible for the vaccine have until Jan. 10, 2022, to be fully vaccinated unless they have a qualified exemption.
Nearly 85% percent of the district’s 630,000 students have complied with the vaccine mandate by the school, which requires that those 12 and older get vaccinated.
An LAUSD statement said that “The science is clear – vaccinations are safe and effective and are an essential part of the multi-layered protection against COVID-19,” per Fox News.
