LAUSD employees continue to fight against vaccination deadlines

Manny Lin, a science teacher in Los Angeles, dreams about the day he can see a movie in theaters, eat in a restaurant or go to the gym again.

Outside of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) headquarters on Nov. 16, the day after the deadline for teachers to be fully vaccinated, Lin participated in a medical freedom rally. Holding up a sign that said “YES to Constitution, NO to mRNA Mandate,” he demonstrated his frustrations over California’s vaccination requirements. As a teacher who refuses to get vaccinated, Lin’s new reality is the realization that his days of both teaching in-person and attending the theater are behind him.

“What I want is not to be discriminated against,” Lin said. “This is no different from the 1940s if you are Japanese-American and society deemed you a potential threat because you might be a spy. Now look at the unvaccinated. They deemed us a threat that might spread a disease, and they have no evidence of that.”

The threat of losing his job in the nation’s second largest school district is still not enough for Lin to get a shot.

LAUSD was the first district in the nation to issue a vaccination mandate for eligible students. The first deadline for teachers to receive their first dose of the vaccine was Oct. 15. Because Lin did not meet the district’s vaccination requirements, he was reassigned to teach students online through an independent study program. LAUSD’s website issued a statement that noted employees would be subject to separation from the district if they failed to meet the final vaccination requirement by Nov. 15.

“This narrative of not getting the virus only if you take the vaccine is just very lopsided because there are other ways of staying healthy and nobody’s talking about it,” Lin said. “No one’s talking about nutrition.”

According to the Los Angeles Times, by the deadline for employees to receive their first shot on Oct. 15, LAUSD saw “99% compliance among classroom teachers and 97% of all employees.”

Nearly 80% of eligible students were in compliance with the vaccination requirement before Thanksgiving break. Students have until Jan. 10, 2022 to be fully vaccinated unless they have a qualified exemption.

Ivonne, an elementary school teacher who did not want to share her last name, also attended the protest alongside Lin. She said she believes that basic hygiene is enough to protect herself and her students from contracting COVID-19.

“I get tested weekly. I put on a mask, and I’m not spreading anything. I’m not catching anything. I wash my hands,” Ivonne said while holding up a sign that read, “LAUSD Employees Against Vaccine Mandate.”

However, the CDC reports that washing your hands is only one method to protect yourself against COVID-19 and strongly recommends getting fully vaccinated to limit the spread of the virus and prevent severe illness.

In keeping with CDC guidelines, LAUSD board members unanimously approved vaccination mandates for employees and students on Sept. 9.

“Our goal is to keep kids and teachers as safe as possible, and in the classroom,” said LAUSD Board Vice President Nick Melvoin. “A medical and scientific consensus has emerged that the best way to protect everyone in our schools and communities is for all those who are eligible to get vaccinated. This policy is the best way to make that happen.”

In a statement from Nov. 2, LAUSD reported that “COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and the best way to protect our students, staff and families, and public schools are natural sites for our students and families to receive this life-saving vaccine.”

In partnership with USC and community partners, LAUSD will be offering a webinar series called Get VaccinatED with Los Angeles Unified. Starting Dec. 1, students and families will be able to hear information on COVID-19 safety and vaccination from doctors and community leaders.

More information about the webinar series can be found here.