New York City teachers who refused COVID vaccine had their fingerprints sent to FBI and New York Criminal Justice Services

New York City teachers who declined to get the COVID-19 vaccine had their personnel files flagged and their fingerprints sent to the FBI and the New York Criminal Justice Services, according to a legal group.

The New York City vaccine mandate required Department of Education employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID by Sept. 5, 2022. As of mid-September 2022, approximately 1,950 NYC Department of Education employees had been fired for declining to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams ended the vaccine mandate for NYC workers on Feb. 10.

However, Department of Education employees who were not vaccinated against COVID were reportedly penalized by having a "problem code" inputted in their personnel file.

An assistant principal in the Bronx was suspended without pay for not getting the COVID vaccine.

An affidavit stated, "And while she applied to over 60 jobs during that span, she received no offers because, as one interviewer told her, the DOE attached a problem code for her due to alleged 'misconduct.' While she waited for a decision, her home went into foreclosure, her son had to leave college, and she was forced to get vaccinated to feed her family."

A former therapist at NYC's Early Intervention Program for children with disabilities or developmental issues found out she was labeled with a "problem code" by an agency that she was working with, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom.

"I was shocked that I had been flagged as ineligible to work, because such problem codes often indicate poor performance reviews, misconduct, or even criminal activity. None of these apply to me," the former employee stated. "I did not understand how someone from outside the DOE could even possess this incorrect information about me, I was extremely embarrassed by its negative implications, and I was immensely disappointed that I had to inform the families that I had been assigned to that I could not service their children."

Teachers for Choice – a self-described "organization comprised of teachers and parents that are 100% against forced medical mandates for any American to keep their job, especially educators – argues that teachers' "fingerprints are sent with that flag to the FBI and the New York Criminal Justice Services."

The New York Criminal Justice Services "maintains criminal history records and fingerprint files and performs background checks for employment and licensure."

Teachers for Choice claims that after the personnel files are flagged, they are then sent to the national databases at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice.

John Bursch, attorney for Alliance Defending Freedom, defended terminated New York City workers in court on Feb. 8.

Bursch said in court, "In addition, you've got these problem codes in the personnel files."

"When the city puts these problem codes on employees who have been terminated because of their unconstitutional policies, not only do they have this flag in their files, but their fingerprints are sent with that flag to the FBI and the New York Criminal Justice Services," Bursch said. "So it impacts their ongoing ability to get employment."

Bursch told the Daily Caller, "Even for those who are eligible for reinstatement, when they apply, they've all got so-called 'problem codes' in their personal file because they purportedly failed to fulfill a contractual condition, which was to get vaccinated."

"The city simply didn't like that some people objected to the vaccine on religious grounds and they punished them for that," Bursch said.

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