“Full congressional investigation and hearings into employee vaccine mandates in New York City, leading to reinstatement . . . a process that is friendly to bring you back, not getting doors slammed in your face and just getting tricked and getting treated terribly . . . back pay, and an apology: That's what I think would begin the process of some healing in New York City.” - Michael Kane
In this episode of the New York Mandate podcast, I talk with Michael Kane, a special education teacher who worked for the New York City Department of Education for over 14 years before he was fired for refusing to comply with the DOE’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Michael requested a religious exemption that was denied, and filed one of the earliest lawsuits challenging NYC’s COVID-19 workplace vaccine mandate policies. He founded the organization Teachers for Choice and has been a leader in New York’s medical freedom movement, protesting vaccine mandates and advocating for the reinstatement of workers who were fired for not complying with them.
Michael talked with me about his own personal experiences during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the anti-mandate movement in New York, and the Make America Health Again (MAHA) movement that was one of the decisive factors in the 2024 presidential election.
More from Michael Kane:
Teachers for Choice Substack
Teachers for Choice is an organization of teachers and parents that opposes medical mandates and advocates for teachers who have been adversely affected by mandates in the educational system. You can also find links to the podcast episodes Michael Kane hosts on Children’s Health Defense’s CHD TV on the Teachers for Choice Substack.
Michael Kane and Teachers for Choice are also on X and Instagram.
Here are some links related to things we talked about during the episode:
American Values 2024 PAC
This political action committee supported the presidential candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
New York Freedom Rally (now New York Freedom Network)
This group led many of the protests against NYC’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates while they were in effect.
Cara Castronuova
The boxer, political candidate, and television personality was one of the early protest leaders opposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
Michael Kane mentioned Rita Palma and John Gilmore during our conversation. These two longtime opponents of mandatory vaccinations for both children and adults are founders of the organizations My Kids My Choice and Autism Action Network, respectively.
Michael Kane mentioned fellow teacher Moe Olivier during our conversation. You can learn more about his story here:
Attorney Sujata Gibson talked about Michael Kane’s lawsuit and related cases on the podcast in 2022:
Announcement of NYC Department of Education Employee Vaccine Mandate
This is the August 23, 2021, announcement of the vaccine mandate for New York City Department of Education employees by then Mayor Bill de Blasio, Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter, and Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi.
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 talk with workers, students, and parents 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. They covered nearly all workers in New York City, in both the public and private sectors. They also barred unvaccinated adults, including parents, from schools.
Current mayor Eric Adams kept the mandates in place until November 1, 2022 for the private sector and February 10, 2023 for City workers, and has encouraged private employers to put their own vaccine requirements in place.
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 vaccine mandate in New York? Did you take a vaccine against your wishes in order to keep your job? Please get in touch with me at NYMpodcast@protonmail.com.
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