Religious Group Insists District 34 'Reverse' Vaccine Mandates

GLENVIEW, IL—When Cathy Kedjidjian received a strongly-worded letter from representatives of the evangelical Christian rights organization Liberty Counsel, she had to do a double take.

Kedjidjian is the director of communications at Glenview School District 34, a public school district that mandates the COVID-19 vaccination for staff, but offers religious and health exemptions to those who qualify.

Liberty Counsel wrote to District 34 Superintendent Dane Delli in an April 7 letter on behalf of six district employees who the Florida-based nonprofit said "engaged us to secure their constitutional and statutory rights not to be required to undergo COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of their employment.”

According to District 34 officials, however, each of the 22 employees who filed for religious or health exemptions from the vaccine have had their requests granted so far. Kedjidjian specified that, of those 22 people who filed a request with human resources, many of them were pregnant staffers who only wished to delay their vaccination until after they've given birth.

"I assure you that the school district has not denied any exemption to an employee having a qualifying religious, conscience or other basis," Delli wrote in a letter back to the Liberty Counsel.

Liberty Counsel representatives Richard L. Mast and Horatio G. Mihet also wrote to the district that "many" other employees likely share "similar convictions" against the "forced vaccination" to the six people who reached out.

Kedjidjian said the district does not know who contacted Liberty Counsel, but a staff newsletter this Friday would attempt to clarify again that vaccine exemptions are an option for staff to inquire about.

In a survey of all staff in January, only 2 percent of those who responded said they likely would not get the COVID-19 vaccine, said Kedjidjian. The survey also revealed that 90 percent were planning to or had already received the vaccine. The other 8 percent were undecided at the time.

As of Tuesday morning, 549 out of 750 employees reported being fully vaccinated to the district. Each morning, staff fills out a questionnaire that asks about potential symptoms, contact and if two weeks have passed since a full vaccine dosage.

Kedjidjian estimates that number will rise in the next few weeks as many teachers received their second dose at local vaccine clinics in early April.

The Liberty Counsel posted an update to their website on Friday that claims District 34 "reversed" their vaccine policy, despite school officials insisting religious exemptions were always available.

The organization is recently known in Illinois for aiding churches in Chicago and Niles in a legal battle against COVID-19 restrictions on service sizes.