NYC school teachers want U.S. Supreme Court to take up COVID mandate battle
NEW YORK - Lawyers for teachers who don't want New York City schools to impose a vaccine mandate for them and other workers say they will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene.
They announced their intentions late Monday just after a federal appeals panel gave the green light for New York City to impose the mandate after days of court wrangling.
The city's Department of Education says the mandate will now go into effect at the end of Friday.
The plaintiffs argue that teachers who are placed on unpaid leave because they have not complied with the order will be irreparably harmed.
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"There's 28,00 teachers and DOE employees that are not vaccinated and none of them are conspiracy theorists, none of them are anti-government," said Louis Gelormino, attorney for NYC teachers."Most of them just want to make their own choice."
The teachers' request for emergency injunctive relief from SCOTUS was not likely to occur before Friday, added Gelormino.
RELATED: Appeals court rules in favor of COVID vaccine mandate for schools, health care
On Monday, Oct. 4 2021, 100% of approximately 148,000 educators, custodians, cafeteria workers and other staff in public schools must have at least a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination.
Refusing to comply would result in suspension and termination.