NZ Teachers Court of Appeal Update
NZ Teachers Court of Appeal Update
with Rachael Mortimer, Chair of NZTSOS (NZ Teachers Speaking Out with Science)
This is important for everyone in the education sector, or whose lives touch it… parents, community leaders.
NZTSOS's hearing in the Court of Appeal was in April 2023 (read NZ Herald article). Covid mandate affected education sector employees have been waiting over 10 months for a decision.
In 2021-2022 approximately 1200 members joined NZTSOS, and the team learnt there were 300-4000 educators who were mandated in November 2021. These were not only teachers, but employees from throughout the school system - administration, learning support, special needs support etc.
NZTSOS was also a safe place for educators who took the Covid injection and suffered adverse events.
"...one of the biggest things from this is we have lost so many good teachers who have said after being treated this way they won't come back."
"We've also still got schools who won't take staff back if they are unvaccinated ...There is still segregation, it seems to be anything under COVID is counted as you could do whatever you wanted to anybody."
"And the kids that we have, God bless them, they're beautiful kids and they have lost so much... they've lost a lot of stability, a lot of their routines."
- Rachael Mortimer
Watch this interview on your favourite channel, and please share widely!
MSM’s version of events…
Mainstream media’s reporting of teacher mandates was very one-sided and focused on the perceived community risk, not on the legal rights and voice of the teachers who refused the injections and were unable to get exemptions.
Newshub 16 Nov 2021 (day after mandates)
Newshub 23 March 2022 (mandates ended)
NZ Herald 19 April 2023 (NZTSOS Court of Appeal)
Note also: FreeNZ interview with Rachael and Mike Shaw from NZSTOS about their court cases, 12 August 2022
Just to clarify, there were only 7 exemption applications from the Ministry of Ed individuals (according to an OIA). All declined. So it is the HR Dept or Principals who were the gatekeepers. In contrast, hundreds of exemptions were granted for ‘those in the know’ like Jane Kelley.