“People are being harmed by this vaccine, whether the news reports it or not. There's enough resources out here where you can find that people are being harmed by the vaccine, and where there is a chance of harm, there must be choice. So if there must be choice, it shouldn't be mandated. Period. End of story.” - Kenyon
In this episode of the New York Mandate podcast, I talk with Kenyon, who is on unpaid leave under New York City’s private employer vaccine mandate. He had been working for his alma mater, New York University, for 18 years when the university put him on leave in March 2022. He worked as a residence hall resource manager, managing operations at the university’s Gramercy Green Residence Hall for undergraduates.
[UPDATE: New York University terminated Kenyon’s employment on August 25, 2022, for vaccine non-compliance. He plans to pursue a legal action.]
Kenyon submitted documentation for a religious exemption and had his exemption status change as the university revised its terms. His unpaid leave has no end date, leaving him in limbo.
Kenyon talked with me about the practical consequences of being on an indefinite unpaid leave, how his mother suffering a serious medical incident after taking a COVID-19 vaccine has affected his views, and his insistence on the right to informed consent.
We also talked about his religious objections to taking the vaccine, the culture of conformity he sees around him, and the problematic role of international organizations in U.S. public policy.
Here are some links related to things we talked about during the episode:
New York University
NYU is one of the largest private universities in the United States, with its main campus in New York City.
Worldometer
Worldometer makes world statistics available to a wide audience around the world. It is published by a small independent digital media company based in the U.S.
Nuremberg Code
This internationally recognized set of ethical principles for human medical experimentation was established after the Second World War.
Scenarios for the Future of Technology and International Development
This 2010 scenario planning report was produced by the Rockefeller Foundation and Global Business Network. It presents four hypothetical future scenarios “that allow us to imagine, and then to rehearse, different strategies for how to be more prepared for the future.” One of them is the “Lock Step” scenario Kenyon mentioned. It’s described in the report as “a world of tighter top-down government control and more authoritarian leadership, with limited innovation and growing citizen pushback.”
Estimated Cost of Treating the Uninsured Hospitalized with COVID-19
This 2020 paper discusses Medicare payments to hospitals for COVID-19 patients, as well as supplemental payments made by the federal government under the CARES Act.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Comments
Kenyon mentioned this comment to the press by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, in which she said of her government’s public health website, “We will continue to be your single source of truth.”
Order of the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene to Require COVID-19 Vaccination in the Workplace
This is the order that former Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi issued on December 13, 2021 requiring all workers in New York City who work in a workplace or interact with other workers or the public to be vaccinated.
NYC Vaccination Requirement: Workplaces
This is where you can find current information on New York City’s workplace vaccination requirements.
About the New York Mandate Podcast
The New York Mandate Podcast is an ongoing series of conversations exploring the costs and consequences of vaccine mandates in New York City. I’ll be talking with workers who have been directly affected by the mandates, as well as legal and policy experts.
In late 2021, the city introduced a series of requirements for workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. These requirements were put in place through executive orders issued by the administration of former mayor Bill de Blasio.
Current mayor Eric Adams continues to support the mandates, and they now extend to most working people in the city of New York. Private sector employers are required to affirm that their employees have been vaccinated, and public sector employees of city agencies have been terminated or put on unpaid leave for failing to comply with the vaccine requirement.
The views expressed in the New York Mandate podcast are the personal opinions of the people speaking, and are not intended to provide medical or legal advice.
Join the Conversation
Have you lost your job, been put on leave, or lost opportunities to work as an independent contractor as a result of your decision not to comply with a New York vaccine mandate? Did you take a vaccine against your wishes in order to keep your job? Please get in touch with me at NYMpodcast@protonmail.com.
New York Mandate Podcast, Ep. 18: NYU Residence Hall Resource Manager Kenyon