Chicago Public Schools can’t enforce vaccine/testing mandate on plaintiffs, court rules

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Chicago Public Schools are not allowed to enforce their COVID-19 vaccine or testing mandate on teachers and other staff who sued the district over the policy, a judge ruled Friday.

Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Raylene Grischow issued a temporary restraining order in the case brought by six CPS staff.

“A temporary restraining order is entered enjoining The Board and CPS from taking any action against plaintiffs’ employment for refusing to comply with the school district’s vaccination and testing policy, alleged to prevent the spread of an infectious disease, unless the plaintiffs have first been given their procedural and substantive due process rights,” the order said.

The case was brought by attorneys Thomas DeVore and William Gerber in March with arguments heard March 15 in Springfield.

After Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued an executive order last fall that school staff be vaccinated, or test weekly for COVID-19, CPS made the policy a condition of employment. The governor’s orders were later found null and void by the circuit court and blocked by the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. more