On April 16th, 2021, a group of New York City teachers won their jobs back with backpay after they had been fired for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine. The teachers, who were employed by the Department of Education, had refused to get the vaccine, citing concerns about religious exemptions as well as medical and personal reasons. The arbitrator found that while the teachers did not have an absolute right to refuse the vaccination, they should have been offered an exemption or reasonable accommodation first. The arbitrator ordered the Department of Education to reinstate the teachers with backpay and offered settlement offers to several other teachers who were facing similar potential job losses. This comes as more and more people across the country are being required to get the vaccine in order to access certain public facilities or to work for certain employers.
