NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Dozens of city Department of Education employees are being placed on unpaid leave for allegedly submitting fake proof of COVID-19 vaccination, officials said Friday.
The employees were told not to report to work on Monday, when students return from spring break.
Word reportedly came in an email Wednesday from the DOE that read in part, “We have received information that the proof of vaccination that you uploaded to the DOE Vaccine Portal [...] was fraudulent.”
“Fewer than 100” staffers were placed on leave without pay, DOE spokesperson Nathaniel Styer confirmed in a statement.
“Fraudulent vaccination cards are not only illegal, they also undermine the best line of protection our schools have against COVID-19 – universal adult vaccination,” Styer said.
The DOE didn’t say how they knew the cards of the roughly 70 employees were fake.
The United Federation of Teachers, which represents the staffers, said it’s considering “appropriate legal action” if the employees aren't kept on the payroll.
The union’s general counsel, Beth Norton, wrote a letter to the DOE on Thursday, saying not only were some of the teachers falsely accused, their due process was violated as well.
The DOE meanwhile has referred the matter to the Special Commissioner for Investigation, as well as to law enforcement.
During a Q&A on Friday, Mayor Eric Adams said the investigation is ongoing.
“I’m really disappointed to learn that there were fake vaccination cards,” he said. “Not only is that illegal, it undermines our entire trust. So my understanding is it’s being investigated, and we’re going to see the outcome of the investigation.”
In February, about 700 DOE employees were axed over the department’s vaccine mandate.
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