Private School Parents and Staff Push Back Against Vaccine Requirements

Angela Antenen, a main-office secretary at Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School in Queens, has until December 20 to show proof that she received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine or lose her job. This makes her feel “uneasy” she says.

“I truly believe religious schools and private schools should set their own mandates for teachers and students,” Antenen, 37, said. “Some Catholic schools may be forced to close because of the teacher shortage and the new mandate that now applies to us.”

Earlier this month, Mayor Bill de Blasio set a mandate that requires employees at yeshivas, Catholic schools, and other private schools to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. A vaccine mandate for public school teachers and staff is already in effect.

This move by the mayor, now made more urgent by the highly contagious Omicron variant, impacts roughly 930 schools and 56,000 religious school employees and the children they cater to. Many point to religious reasons behind refusals to get vaccinated.

James Carey, 49, a guidance counselor and father of two at Monsignor McClancy, says he won’t put any mandate first as his faith comes above all. “I am a devout Catholic,” said Carey. “The government trying to forcefully get in the way of my beliefs is unethical.”

Many religious leaders have threatened to challenge the vaccine mandate imposed on Catholic and Jewish institutions by taking them to court for violating religious freedom. The city will proceed to penalize private schools with serious fines in the thousands if they do not comply with the mandate.

Michael Gallager, parent of a Catholic school student, said he finds it unnecessary for staff at his child’s school to be forced to do anything. “First it will be staff, and then it will be my child who they force to get vaccinated. It is uncalled for,” said Gallager. “As parents who pay tuition at a Catholic school, we have a right to have a say on this matter, and I believe staff should too—not the government.”