Three Barrington Teachers Told No Vaccine, No Job

The teachers were placed on administrative leave with a termination date of January 1st.

BARRINGTON, R.I. (WLNE) –

‘Get vaccinated or lose your job’.

That was the message tonight from the Barrington School Committee to three teachers refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine despite the district’s mandate, claiming religious exemptions. The teachers had been given a deadline of November 1st. “I was told to resign, or get a vaccine,” said Stephanie Hynes, a teacher who has been with the district for five years.

Chants of “freedom not force” could be heard throughout the school’s cafeteria in a show of support. In a statement made earlier by the National Education Association of Rhode Island,  accommodations were requested for teachers choosing not to get vaccinated that included testing, high-quality masking, and social distancing measures.

After a three hour deliberation and emotional testimony from the teachers, the board chose to accept Superintendent Michael Messore’s recommendation to place the teachers on leave with a looming termination date of January 1st. A lawyer for the Barrington school district says the decision boils down to an ‘undue hardship’ that would be placed on students and staff, referencing a recent outbreak. “Failure to vaccinate exposes children. It’s just that simple.”

While the district does currently have two additional pending medical exemption cases, it holds an overall 97% vaccination rate.

This is a developing story, check back for details.