The TDSB Has Now Suspended 330 Unvaccinated Workers But Some Were Exempted

An update in the Toronto District School Board's vaccine policy leaves hundreds of workers suspended without pay today, but not everyone will face immediate consequences.

According to the TDSB, the new COVID-19 vaccination procedure forces any staff who've disclosed they're not vaccinated to be put on "non-disciplinary administrative leave" without pay, effective November 22, 2021.

As a result, 330 staff members were suspended on Monday to "support the health and safety of students, staff and [..] school communities."

The school board also reported that it's taking the necessary measures to ensure the loss of staff has little impact on students.

"As we implement the procedure, it is important that there is minimal impact on students' learning, well-being, and safety. As part of this plan, we are relying on occasional/casual staff to fill in for these staff members, but, like other school boards across Ontario, we are seeing lower levels of occasional/casual staff taking available jobs," an excerpt from the report reads.

TDSB also granted "temporary exemptions" to 290 staff members out of the approximated 620 who remain unvaccinated to help ease the transition.

"These exemptions will only last until we are able to adequately fill these positions on a case-by-case basis," it adds.

All exempted staff, who are unvaccinated, will be subject to rapid COVID-19 testing three times per week.