Teacher of the year could lose job due to teachers’ union backing of vaccine mandate

"It is unfortunate after 15 plus years of dedicating myself to the profession and the students and the families of the town that I work in that we're here," Kahseim Outlaw told Fox News.

Outlaw was voted Lyman Hall High School’s teacher of the year in 2020, and said that at the beginning of this school year, he was informed that he and other staff at the school had to comply with an executive order in Connecticut requiring vaccination or weekly testing for COVID-19.

He was placed on unpaid leave, and was informed on Wednesday that the superintendent would not be extending his leave, meaning he could lose his job.

"I strongly believe that my medical decisions, the procedures that I go through, the medications that I do or don't take are personal decisions of my own… I'm not against anyone's medical decisions whatsoever whether it relates to this particular situation or anything else," said Outlaw, who noted that he is an advocate of "holistic health" and has been a vegan for seven years.

"So, you know my fuel I kind of pay a lot of attention to what I put in my body and how I nurture myself," Outlaw said.

"I really enjoy and appreciate all the relationships that I've been able to develop over the last 15 years at my school, and I have some really strong connections with students. So it's unfortunate that I can't offer them the love and commitment and the wisdom that I tried to bestow on them often," Outlaw added.

On September 10, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced that school workers, in addition to healthcare and state workers, must be fully vaccinated or at least have one dose with an appointment to receive their second dose, or submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test once per week.