Town Division of Schooling has become Scrooge this vacation season, demanding money from staffers it fired for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Social employee Diane Pagen, terminated three years in the past for violating town’s vaccine mandate, acquired an “bill” after Thanksgiving from the DOE in search of $2,290, a sum overlaying her wage for 10 days in 2021 when she was ordered to not work.
Pagen, 54, known as it a “shameful extortion” and “a shakedown.”
“What sort of upside-down clown world has NYC’s Division of Schooling turn out to be? This company refused to permit me to go to work … and now desires to invoice me,” she advised The Publish.
Pagen is one in all 1,780 metropolis staff — together with 1,100 within the DOE — pressured to go away on Oct. 4, 2021, as a result of they’d not adjust to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
However the DOE saved them on the payroll till Oct. 15. Now it desires refunds for 10 days of wage from staff town placed on “involuntary unpaid depart” as a result of they didn’t get vaxxed.
Pagen and others labored with out pay by the spring break throughout the COVID shutdown in 2020. The academics’ union later gained an arbitration requiring town to compensate any worker on responsibility throughout that point, even when they not work for the DOE.
“Why aren’t they calling Diane in regards to the compensation they owe her?” requested Michael Kane, founding father of Lecturers for Alternative, a gaggle of metropolis educators who oppose pressured medical mandates.
“The truth that they’re asking her to pay after holding her out of labor for therefore lengthy is nothing in need of an outrage,” stated Queens Councilwoman Joann Ariola, a Republican.
“I’ll be talking with the DOE to proper this mistaken.”
The DOE refused to elucidate or touch upon Pagen’s bill as a result of she filed a lawsuit towards town, alleging $10 million in damages for violating her rights, wrongful termination and fraud.
Spokeswoman Jenna Lyle stated solely, “We’re grateful to our faculty communities and metropolis management for taking the required steps to guard our younger folks throughout the pandemic.”
Mayor Adams lifted the vax mandate for metropolis staff in February 2023.
In a associated matter, the Metropolis Council this week yanked a scheduled vote by the Civil Service and Labor Committee on a decision calling on the state Legislature and Gov. Kathy Hochul to enact a legislation to reinstate Huge Apple staff terminated because of non-compliance with the vax mandate.
Republican Staten Island Councilman Joseph Borelli, who helps “Decision 5,” stated a casual ballot indicated the nine-member committee lacked the 5 votes wanted to approve and ship it for a vote by the Metropolis Council.
“It’s not lifeless,” he stated. “We’re going again to the committee in January or February, and determine a option to get it by. We’re very assured we have now the votes within the full Council to move it.”
Ariola agreed.
“It is a civil rights invoice, not an anti-vaccine measure,” the councilwoman stated.
Adams continues to struggle lawsuits by metropolis staff in search of to regain their jobs together with again pay and seniority.
Jim Walden, an lawyer working towards Adams for mayor, would rehire staff terminated for refusing COVID vaccines, he stated:
“We should always flip the web page on this injustice by welcoming them again to metropolis service. And I will surely be open to some type of backpay” relying on the fee, Walden stated.
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