NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor has blocked the request to halt New York City’s Department of Education vaccine mandate.
On Thursday, a group of teachers asked the U.S. Supreme Court for the emergency injunction blocking the mandate for public school staff.
The city gave its roughly 148,000 school employees until 5 p.m. Friday to get at least their first vaccine shot, or face suspension without pay when schools open on Monday.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Friday that a vast majority of New York City educators have been vaccinated ahead of a Friday deadline.
“As of this morning, 90% of our Department of Education employees are vaccinated, at least one dose,” de Blasio said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
The mayor said about 93% of teachers and 98% of principals have gotten at least one shot.
An original deadline earlier this week was delayed by a legal challenge. A federal appeals panel decided Monday that the nation’s largest school district could go ahead with the mandate.
De Blasio said he was confident courts will uphold the mandate and that the city won’t face a shortage of teachers, despite concerns expressed by the United Federation of Teachers.
“We have thousands and thousands of high-quality substitute teachers, especially young folks who come out of schools and education,” de Blasio said Friday. “They're looking to get into our school system permanently, they're vaccinated. They’re ready.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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