Teachers accused of using fake COVID vaccine cards to skirt the law in New York City

Scores of teachers and school employees are accused of using fake COVID-19 vaccine cards to skirt the law and are being placed on unpaid leave in New York City, officials say.

The city’s Department of Education (DOE) has accused the group of fraud, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) union confirmed to McClatchy News. All DOE workers are required to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof.

Roughly 70 members of the union — which represents teachers, school counselors, secretaries and more within the city — were told their submitted vaccine proof was fake and were getting put on unpaid leave as of April 25, a union spokesperson said.

McClatchy News has reached out to the DOE for comment on April 22.

The UFT called the accusations “unproven” and said the decision to suspend the many employees without pay was “wholly improper,” according to a letter sent to the DOE and obtained by McClatchy News.

“We are reviewing appropriate legal action to potentially challenge the DOE’s unilateral action in removing these employees from payroll,” a UFT spokesperson said.

In New York state, creating and using fake COVID-19 vaccine cards is a crime.

“Fraudulent vaccination cards are not only illegal, they also undermine the best line of protection our schools have against COVID-19 – universal adult vaccination. We immediately moved to put these employees – fewer than 100 – on leave without pay,” a DOE spokesperson told PIX11.

Some of the accused individuals contacted the DOE and said “they were sent the notice in error, but they have not received a response,” according to the UFT’s letter.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams told CBS New York he was “really disappointed” when he learned of the allegations.

The UFT “demands” that the DOE “rescind” its actions against the school employees, according to the letter.

The union is also asking for confirmation that the employees “will remain on payroll” on April 25 “and thereafter.”

This story was originally published April 22, 2022 at 11:15 AM with the headline "Teachers accused of using fake COVID vaccine cards to skirt the law in New York City."

Julia Marnin

McClatchy DC

Julia Marnin covers courts for McClatchy News, writing about criminal and civil affairs, including cases involving policing, corrections, civil liberties, fraud, and abuses of power. As a reporter on McClatchy’s National Real-Time Team, she’s also covered the COVID-19 pandemic and a variety of other topics since joining in 2021, following a fellowship with Newsweek. Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, she was raised in South Jersey and is now based in New York State.