Barrington schools reviewing medical exemption requests for mandate

Vaccine mandate leaves five employees in limbo

Posted 11/3/21

A policy mandating Covid-19 vaccinations for all Barrington School Department employees has left the future of five workers in question.

Last Thursday night, members of the Barrington School …

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Barrington schools reviewing medical exemption requests for mandate

Vaccine mandate leaves five employees in limbo

Posted

A policy mandating Covid-19 vaccinations for all Barrington School Department employees has left the future of five workers in question.

Last Thursday night, members of the Barrington School Committee voted 3-1 to follow the recommendation of the superintendent to deny their religious exemption requests to the vaccine mandate. The district placed the three teachers — Brittany DiOrio, Stephanie Hines and Kerri Thurber — on unpaid leave for the next two months. The teachers have until the end of the year to show proof of vaccination or their positions will be terminated. (District officials denied the religious exemption requests on the grounds that it would create an undue burden on the school department.)

In addition, the school department is still reviewing two medical exemption requests filed by school employees. Officials have not yet ruled on those requests. 

On Monday morning, Barrington Superintendent of Schools Michael Messore said the school department has covered one of the three teaching positions impacted with a long-term substitute.

“… the other two positions (music and reading) are posted as long term teaching positions,” Mr. Messore wrote in an email to the Barrington Times.

Also on Monday, Barrington School Committee Chairwoman Gina Bae released a public statement regarding the decision to place three teachers on unpaid leave after they failed to comply with the district’s vaccine mandate policy.

“State law entrusts the Barrington School Committee with the responsibility for the ‘entire care, control, and management of all public school interests’ of our Town,” Ms. Bae wrote. “Those interests include the responsibility of the ‘health and wellness of students and employees’ within the District. To carry out this responsibility, the Committee adopted a policy in August requiring that all staff be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by November 1st. 

“The vaccine has been shown to be a safe and effective way to reduce the spread and impact of COVID-19 and keep our more vulnerable population of students and staff safe. The burden associated with having unvaccinated staff is an undue burden placed on the district that undermines the public purpose to be served by the mandate in protecting the health and safety of our learning community. 

“My vote reflects my commitment to protecting those who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, including many of our younger students who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated, who are medically unable to be vaccinated, and those members of our staff who remain at increased risk of serious health conditions should they contract the virus despite vaccination.”

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.