Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
U.S. Supreme Court agrees to review teachers’ petition to block NYC vaccine mandate
By
Caroline Lewis
Published Feb 16, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Caroline Lewis
Published Feb 16, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The U.S. Supreme Court said Wednesday that it will consider a request to block the vaccine mandate for New York City public workers, in a reversal of a previous decision.
CNN reported that the employees who petitioned the Supreme Court have been suspended for refusing to get vaccinated and could be terminated. The Supreme Court is expected to review their petition in early March.
The group of four public school teachers and staff initially petitioned Justice Sonia Sotomayor in September to take up the question of whether an emergency injunction was warranted to prevent Department of Education employees from facing consequences for non-compliance with the vaccine mandate. She denied the request on October 1st without referring it to the full panel of judges.
Despite multiple lawsuits challenging the city’s vaccine mandate — one of which resulted in a local order blocking it temporarily – the policy was allowed to take effect for education employees on October 4th. Public school employees were required to have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by that date to avoid being placed on unpaid leave.
But the group that sought to bring the case to the Supreme Court has not backed down. After getting rejected by Sotomayor, they renewed their request with Justice Neil Gorsuch, who referred the case to the full court.
Law Department spokesperson Nick Paolucci said the city remained confident in its legal stance.
"This referral to the full Court is standard practice when litigants make repeat applications," he said in an email. "The fact remains that plaintiffs have made no case for relief. Both lower courts, as well as Justice Sotomayor, have already rejected plaintiffs’ efforts to block the mandate."
On Monday, Mayor Eric Adams confirmed 1,430 city workers had been fired for not complying with the vaccine mandate, including 914 DOE staff, Politico reported. The employees had been on unpaid leave since November.
This story has been updated with additional comment.
Tagged
education
court
supreme court
vaccine
Caroline Lewis
Caroline Lewis is on the health care beat for WNYC and Gothamist. She has covered COVID, a nurses' strike, the overdose crisis and New York’s marijuana legalization effort, and spent a year investigating patients' medical bills. She always wants to hear about how everyday New Yorkers experience the health system. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC Council to consider earlier Legionella reporting after deadly outbreaks
A bill facing a hearing Monday would require cooling tower owners to notify city health officials when bacteria levels reach a much lower threshold.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 18, 2026 at 7:36 p.m. ET
Staten Island fire injures 2, but spares historic 'Godfather' church
Dozens of firefighters responded to the blaze, which started in a vacant warehouse. It was contained within three hours.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
Staten Island fire injures 2, but spares historic 'Godfather' church
Dozens of firefighters responded to the blaze, which started in a vacant warehouse. It was contained within three hours.
By
Giulia Heyward
Bail reform remains major issue in NY governor's race, 7 years after it became law
By
Gino Fanelli
NYPD identifies Bronx man, 26, killed in Midtown subway shooting
By
Ryan Kost
,
Elizabeth Kim
and
Phil Corso
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
By
Ryan Kost
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .