‘Teacher of the Year’ could be fired over vax mandate
WALLINGFORD, Conn. (NewsNation Now) — A former physical education teacher of the year could be fired over his decision to not get vaccinated for COVID-19 or be tested.
“Currently, I am on unpaid leave from my school,” Kahseim Outlaw, a teacher at Lyman High School, said on The Donlon Report.
In September, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont issued an executive order requiring school staff get vaccinated or tested.
Outlaw believes getting the vaccine should be a personal choice and he has decided not to get one.
“I’m a personal advocate, a big advocate, for personal health and the choices that we make with our medicine and with our medical procedures and therefore I believe it’s it’s my own choice on how to maintain that and how to manage it,” Outlaw said.
Outlaw, who says he isn’t opposed to vaccines, also decided not get tested for the virus weekly.
“Going to test for something that I may or may not have on a consistent basis is deemed for me, on a personal level, an unnecessary medical procedure,” Outlaw said.
Outlaw says has was diagnosed with COVID-19 last year and believes he may have antibodies, although he has not been tested.
When pressed by Joe Donlon on whether he would get the vaccine if he knew he didn’t have antibodies, Outlaw said no.
“I have a lot of faith and belief in my own body and my natural immune response to take care of myself and heal from whatever infectious disease that might come next,” Outlaw said.
He’s waiting for the school board’s decision on his employment.
“Until then, I’ll be working on a game plan to try to, you know, put food on the table, keep a smile on my face and stay healthy,” Outlaw said.