Last month, the Idaho State Board of Education previously joined a lawsuit started by the State of Georgia, arguing against the case of the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Earlier today, a federal judge from Georgia placed a halt on the mandate, granting a preliminary injunction.
The vaccine mandate had stated that all employees of federally owned contractors or subtractors must provide proof of vaccination status by Jan. 4. This act would’ve directly affected employees at the University of Idaho, as well as any employed students under the payroll services of the university.
Failure to comply within this mandate would result in not only the university losing access to federal grants, around $22 million, but possible termination for university employees who either could not or would not provide their vaccination proof.
Jodi Walker, Senior Director of Communications for UI stated that the university was well equipped and preparing for the possibility of the mandate, claiming that they were ready to have a two-pronged plan for doing so.
The first prong would’ve included compiling current vaccine records from employees, the second would’ve been granting waivers for staff members with religious or medical exemptions.
“Everything was in place and ready to go, along with the hope that there would be some leniency if we showed that we were working towards full vaccination,” Walker said.
She went on to say that it was never the university’s intention to show up on Jan. 4 and immediately start firing staff.
In an email sent out by the Idaho State Board of Education, State Board President Kurt Liebich stated that, “Since the mandate was issued, our institutions have been struggling to develop plans to comply, and the preliminary injunction gives us breathing room to chart a proper path forward without forcing employees to choose between getting vaccinated or potentially losing their job.”
The mandate has been given a current pause, and it is unclear of how long it will last, or if it will be overturned on court appeal.
Dani Moore can be reached at [email protected]