SOCCCD: vaccine mandate adopted at tonight's board meeting! (But Whitt loses her freakin' marbles)

7.5 Subject SOCCCD: COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate 

Recommended Action 

The Chancellor recommends that the Board of Trustees approve a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for all students, employees, and volunteers coming onto any District campus or worksite as of January 8, 2022, and delegate authority to the Chancellor to take any and all actions necessary to develop and implement the vaccination mandate. 

You can find the agenda for tonight's meeting HERE. Look for item 7.5.

UPDATE: 8:52

The board is presently discussing item 7.5. Right now, Chancellor Kathleen Burke is reading the submitted "public comments," so far dominated by the usual anti-vax ignoramuses. I'll keep you posted. (You can view the Zoom meeting live yourself here.)

9:01: still reading public comments. The usual suspects dominate, no doubt wearing MAGA caps.

9:05: an articulate fellow speaks in favor of the mandate. (Don't know why he is allowed to make his comment himself.)

9:07: back to the usual suspects. "Unconstitutional!"

9:11: more of the same. Where's Peggy? (Has she spoken already?)

9:13: support for the mandate (for a change). Reasonable stuff.

9:15: back to anti-vax sentiments. "We have no knowledge of the long-term effects of the vaccine!"

9:19: support of the mandate (from faculty and classified)

9:20: Geography instructor: pro-vaccine mandate

9:21: "conflicting data." Opposed to mandate.

9:22: supports other groups at college: pro-mandate

9:23: most lethal vaccines in the history of the USA! Do not destroy lives!

9:24: taxpayer whose kids go to "Saddleback Valley College." Anti-mandate. Refers to Rand Paul.

9:25: supports vaccine mandate. Many faculty have students at home who cannot be vaccinated. (Psych instructor)

9:27: vaccines not foolproof! "This absolutely makes no sense." 

9:30: Saddleback's Dan Walsh speaking in support of the vaccine mandate. Vaccines: the right thing to do. Presently, faculty are in closed classrooms with unvaccinated students. Not good. The vaccine works and is safe.

Burke: "that's an hour." "We've gone through 45 [comments]; that's about half." 10 left.

Motion to recess for 10 minutes. They vote: passes [9:33]

--I'll return at 9:43

9:43: trustees have returned to the "Ronald Reagan" hall. Board indicates they will listen to the last ten public speakers.

Jeff Nichols speaks (they've already read his wife's comment; so he passes)

9:45: (technical difficulties. They're overcome.) Another parent against mandated vaccinations. Opening yourselves up to lots of litigation! he says.

9:46: Lisa Alvarez speaks (Rebel Girl!): have taught at IVC almost 30 years. Proud of vaccine mandate effort to insure safe return to campus in Spring. Refers to TB mandate she routinely needs to satisfy. Reads from recent author in LA Times: burden now on the unvaccinated. Our district will become part of the solution (with mandate).

9:49: recent graduate. Got lots of emails about the mascot change, but not about this. "I'm extremely against this mandate." Illegal. Will cause death.

9:50: [They'e waiting; not sure what for.] 

9:51: Forcing students to take injections. As parent, horrified. Who will be accountable for adverse reactions? Will our kids be discriminated against? Attitude exhibited by Stern: anyone who objects to vaccines is stupid? Hey, we have our own critical thinking skills!

9:54: Daughter attends Saddleback. Many are fearful of vaccine. There are fears on both sides. But we should have free choice. The vaccine could injure people or give them Covid. Don't take our freedoms away!

9:56: I've already said my peace.

9:57: To all fellow Americans. My family fled communism. I'm a student at Saddleback College, using GI Bill benefits. Served my country in the Marines. I've had Covid 2 times. I have underlying conditions that could flare up. What happened to "my body, my choice"? Protect our freedoms of personal choice. I can't fight anymore. I fought and bled for you.

9:59: Adjunct faculty member at IVC. We must return to traditional classrooms. Thus vaccine mandate is necessary. Love my job, my students. Lifelong advocate of personal liberty. Students should be vaccinated. Covid-19 is deadly. We need the mandate! [timed out]

10:02: Resident of Mission Viejo. Son attends IVC. Son has disease because he took vaccine(?). I urge everyone to look at Nuremberg Code.

10:05: Student speaks on behalf of students/student government. Thanks Chancellor Burke, approving mandate. "Thank you all for hearing us, bringing data to decision." This will slow the spread, save lives. Will help insure safety of those on campus. Mentions many groups, including student groups, supporting mandate.

10:06: Board chair Marcia Milchiker wants to allow two raising their hands to speak. But there's pushback. They are eventually allowed to speak.

10:07: taxpayer and resident. He rejects the vaccine mandate. Shocking. No choice. Violation of liberty and personal autonomy. Why is SOCCCD pushing this mandate? Recent data from OC showing rates are dropping. Yes vote on mandate is anti-American. Politically motivated agenda.

10:09: Peter S. [He's already spoken]

Board chair Milchiker: we need a presentation on the issue. Burke notes that all of the info is in the "item" (presentation unnecessary). Most students, she says, are already vaccinated. Students said they'd be more likely to take classes on campus with a vaccine mandate. Vaccine mandates at college campuses: very common now. [Goes over various factoids.] If we move forward with mandate, will need to negotiate with various groups about that subsequently. The mandate would apply only to students who want to take classes face-to-face. A great many classes are online. Online instruction will be 30-40% of what we offer at the colleges. Mandate is the right thing to do; other districts have done it. We recommend it to you at this time.

Milchiker: any comments? 

10:14: Marcia: I've been studying Covid since the beginning as a research biologist. Have friends who have died of Covid. Every 43 seconds, an American dies of Covid. 1 in 500 Americans have died from Covid. Many people are dying. The virus is our enemy, not each other. Even the Trump administration understood that the vaccines were the only way to end the pandemic. [Discusses the nature of a virus; the phenomenon of mutations.] It became virulent. 4th wave: people dying all over the country. The virus must attach to a living host. So we need vaccines. We're in danger of starting all over again if we don't pursue vaccines. This is very serious. Children are now dying. Many more are sick. And these kids can't get vaccinated. Faculty with kids don't want to carry the virus home to their children. [About to cry.] If people have medical conditions, religious reasons, there'll be special accommodations. That's my feeling. We have to stop the vaccine before it gets worse. [MARCIA AT HER MOST ARTICULATE.]

Prendergast: 250 faculty respondents in survey. Out of how many faculty? Speaks with Dan D of IVC. Then IVC's VPI speaks. Trying to get number of students. And the student survey? ... Has question about athletes. Aren't they mandated to get the vaccine? I don't believe so, says Burke(?). ... Raises question about insurance and liability. 

Prendergast: I teach government (at high school). You can act as delegate; as partisans; as trustees. Trustee is trusted to make decisions that are best informed decisions. History has proven that vaccines work. Almost all anti-vax movements have been on the wrong side. History has trends. I will be on the right side of history voting "yes" for this mandate.

Jemal: I want to understand the policy. We're requiring that students and faculty and staff (and volunteers) be vaccinated by Jan. 7. Is that the gist? Yes, says Burke.

Jemal: some things are not settled/"tidied up" yet. How are we going to handle legitimate medical exceptions: Burke (?): we'd look for a note from a doctor. 

Motion: extend meeting til midnight. Vote: 7 yes.

Jemal: vaccine mandate--for students and employees or volunteers. They would not be required if they have a legitimate medical reason? Burke: legally required to do that. ... The testing: some people will refuse to get vaccine. Students like that will not be able to attend face-to-face classes. Can they take PCR(?) testing? No. Must do it for students with medical reasons. Very expensive to do it for those other students--who have the option of taking online classes. Jamal: it's a concern for me. If we mandate vaccinations, will this really increase number vaccinated? Burke: yes. Burke: "about 10%."

Jemal: comments tonight, all sincere. I am inclined to support this [mandate] based on Q and A on how implemented. I will say: for me, human rights and civil liberties are very important. Some comments--to suggest that people on this board don't support freedom/liberty/rights--[then refers to holocaust against Armenians by Turks, relatives died]. I take that personally. We do support liberties, rights. That accusation, I'm very troubled by that. I'm proud that we're being transparent in this process. But that issue, I take it seriously. We have a great country. We have right to vote, due process. Let's keep this in context. 

Another trustee (TERRI WHITT-RYDELL) speaks: says she supports vaccinations. She adds: very concerned about "this item tonight." Listened to parents: it's detrimental to our students. I hear what you're saying. And I hear faculty say that they are concerned about being in a classroom with students unvaccinated. I've been listening to lots of people. There's a difference of opinion. And fears. And biases. As a nurse, I say: I was scared to go into wards during outbreaks (in the past). This [one] is airborne. Nobody can say 100% what is right or wrong. We are crowded in this room, if there is one person with Covid. Then you can get it. But we have filters! Good filters! We're here to decide on a mandate. Got emails from nursing students who lost their jobs because they're not vaccinated. I respect that person who has never had a vaccination. I don't know enough--the answers to the exceptions [if we adopt the mandate]. I would like a friendly amendment: table this and we vote next month. [GOOD GRIEF!] I'm a nurse. We need to be compassionate, flexible. "Don't touch your face." That's the best thing you can do. [Huh?]

Prendergast: ask maker of amendment (Jim Wright) whether you accept this as friendly amendment. "No," he says. So Witt needs to make a motion to table the motion. Jemal or Prendergast(?): I don't understand your motion. You want an extension, but change in policy too. Where are there areas where you still have questions?

Everyone votes NO on motion except Rydel.

Marcia: ANYONE else want to speak?

Student trustee: surprised that some speakers compared mandate to the holocaust, etc. I support this mandate.

Inmon: We've heard ad hominem attacks! I'm in favor of the mandate. All these issues will be taken care of. Loose ends will be taken care of. We need this mandate. There's plenty of time to work out all these details. 

Whitt-Rydell says a few things. Obviously bothered by getting no support from colleagues. Annoyed that some trustees are trying to move things along (Wright). People's lives are at stake!, she says.

Whitt-Rydell: I vaccinate people. Yes. But it's how we do it. 

Marcia: call the question? Yep

All vote yes except Whitt-Rydell -- doesn't vote. Silence. Odd silence. (Did Whitt-Rydell vote?)

So it passes, unanimously, evidently - 10:55

I couldn't see the video when Whitt-Rydell took so long to vote. Not sure what that was about. I do believe she eventually went along with the other trustees.