Department of Education Employees File Lawsuit Against NYC Mayor Over Vaccine Mandate

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio at a public appearance in New York, N.Y., on March 31, 2020. Stefan Jeremiah/Reuters

Employees of NYC’s Department of Education (DOE) from various races, cultures, and social classes filed as 10 plaintiffs against New York Mayor Bill de Blasio in federal court over his vaccination mandate.

The lawsuit is the third one filed against the vaccine mandates enforced by de Blasio earlier this month on NYC educators.

The members of the multi-cultural plaintiffs have ethnic backgrounds from China, Nigeria, Colombia, Ecuador, and Italy. Their religious beliefs are also varied.

“Despite these diverse and varied backgrounds, all plaintiff’s share one thing in common; they firmly believe their rights to a religious and/or medical exemption to vaccination have been trampled on by a fraudulent NYC DOE process,” reads a statement from Teachers for Choice, an organization against forced medical mandates.

The lawsuit is named Kane vs De Blasio and was filed by attorney Sujata Gibson.

Michael Kane has been a teacher in the NYC DOE for over 14 years and the founder of teachers for choice.

“I am facing losing my job any day now because I refuse to get the COVID vaccine as a requirement of employment,” Kane told The Epoch Times on Sept. 27.

“The situation is in the courts, and what I want all of my brothers and sisters in education in New York City to know is that even if the hearing this Wednesday that will be heard in the second circuit federal court does not get us a restraining order or injunction that is sustained, you must still hold the line! Teachers for Choice has a lawsuit titled Kane vs. De Blasio which will be seeking its own restraining order in a matter of days,” he added.

The mandate took effect on Sept. 27 after being temporarily blocked by a federal judge on Sept. 24. A federal appeals panel ruled in favor of the mandate hours before it was scheduled to begin.

The mayor said on Monday that DOE staff have until 5 p.m. on Oct. 1 to get their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

“If you have not gotten that first dose by Friday, 5 o’clock, we will assume you are not coming to work on Monday and you will not be paid starting Monday and we will fill your role with a substitute or an alternative employee,” the Democrat said.

The decision has prompted concerns that there will soon be a shortage of teaching staff. Some unions have called for a delay.

Louis Gelormino, an attorney for the United Federation of Teachers, told Fox News he was considering taking the case to the Supreme Court.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Mayor’s office for comment.

Katabella Roberts contributed to this report.