The city Department of Education has agreed to put 82 teachers suspected of submitting fake COVID-19 vaccine cards back on the payroll pending an internal probe, The Post has learned.
The teachers are believed to have skirted the city’s vaccine mandate, which required every municipal worker to show proof of vaccination or be terminated, unless granted a religious or medical exemption. Close to 1,000 DOE employees who refused to comply have been fired.
The DOE suspended the 82 teachers without pay on April 25 after their names popped up as customers of a Long Island pediatric center accused of selling bogus vaccine cards.
The nurse practitioner-owner and two staffers at Wild Child Pediatric Healthcare were charged with racking up $1.5 million in sales, charging adults $220 for each dose falsely marked on the card, or $440 for both doses, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.
None of the teachers has been arrested. Several who spoke to The Post on condition of anonymity insisted they did get inoculated against COVID-19, but paid the fees for a “detox treatment” to offset any adverse reaction.
The DOE filed a suit last month seeking to keep the suspected cheats suspended without pay. The United Federation of Teachers argued it was improper to do so based on unproven allegations.
Last week, the DOE buckled, telling the exiled educators they would be placed back on the city payroll on Sept. 6, the first day of the new school year.
“Upon your return, the DOE will conduct an internal investigation related to whether the proof you uploaded is fraudulent,” an internal memo says.
“This is a huge step for an agency that never admits they did anything wrong,” said Betsy Combier, a paralegal who is helping defend the teachers.
The staffers still can’t return to their classrooms or schools, but have to sit in an isolated holding area. They will be told to where to report after Sept. 1, the memo says.