A private school in Miami said it will avoid hiring new teachers who have received the coronavirus vaccine, citing concerns about the “experimental” nature of the shots.
“It is our policy, to the extent possible, not to employ anyone who has taken the experimental COVID-19 injection until further information is known,” the Centner Academy wrote in an email to parents and teachers.
The school said it “cannot allow recently vaccinated people near students,” asking all currently-employed teachers who have been vaccinated to let higher-ups know so they can be distanced from children.
“We are not 100% sure the Covid injections are safe and there are too many unknown variables for us to feel comfortable at this current time,” said co-founder and CEO Leila Centner in a statement defending the school’s decision.
Many parents, however, criticized the decision as “baffling.”
“Maybe they want to wait to see if there is a new variant and a new vaccine? I don’t know, but it’s a bit strange,” parent Sophie Pescher said, according to CBS Miami.
The Miami–Dade teachers union also slammed Centner Academy’s announcement, blasting the school as irresponsible.
“As shamefully seen by the actions of the illegally run and uncertified Centner Academy, these schools not only teach misinformation and peddle propaganda, they punish teachers who try to protect themselves and their families,” the United Teachers of Dade said in a statement.
Centner pointed to several studies about strange side effects associated with the coronavirus vaccines, including reports from women that they experienced “adverse reproductive issues simply from being in close proximity with those who have received any one of the COVID-19 injections,” she explained.
“No one knows exactly what may be causing these irregularities, but it appears that those who have received the injections may be transmitting something from their bodies to those with whom they come in contact,” Centner added. “Until more is known, we must err on the side of caution when it comes to the welfare of our students and the school team.”
