Employees within Cincinnati Public Schools won’t be required to get a COVID-19 vaccine just yet.
During the June 28 CPS Board of Education meeting, members postponed a vote about mandating vaccination to protect employees and students against the coronavirus.
A proposed resolution would have required all employees and partners within CPS buildings to get at least one dose of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine by Aug. 17 (Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are a two-shot series with the shots several weeks apart, while Johnson & Johnson vaccines are a single shot). CPS classes begin Aug. 19, according to a district calendar.
“In accordance with the District’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards, we are adopting this policy to safeguard the health of our employees; our students and their families; and the community at large from COVID-19, which may be reduced by vaccinations. This policy will comply with all applicable laws and guidance provided by national and local health officials,” the proposed policy said.
The resolution would have permitted some medical or religious exemptions upon request, but the policy explicitly stated that political beliefs would not qualify for exemptions, as noted below:
All employees are required to receive vaccinations unless a religious or disability/medical exemption is claimed. An employee’s claim for a religious exemption must stem from a deeply or sincerely held religious belief or practice. Political beliefs are not a sufficient enough reason to request an accommodation. Employees who cannot receive a COVID vaccination due to a medical reason can request an exception under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Ohio Civil Right Acts.
Board members were split Monday about the proposed resolution, with some suggesting Jan. 1 as an effective date after more discussion.
District officials said Monday that around 70% of CPS employees were fully vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that a “fully vaccinated” person is one who is two weeks past their second dose of a two-dose vaccine (Pfizer and Moderna) or who is two weeks past a single-dose vaccine (J&J).
CPS is hosting block parties and vaccination events throughout the summer, CityBeat previously reported. The district had previously offered vaccines to eligible students.
This article appears in Jun 1 – Jul 6, 2021.
