A teachers union in Cincinnati is suing to try to stop one of Ohio’s biggest school districts from reopening for in-person learning as the state begins distributing coronavirus vaccines for employees in that district and others.
The Cincinnati Federation of Teachers said its case filed Friday asks a Hamilton County court to delay in-person learning in Cincinnati Public Schools until an arbitrator rules on a related grievance from the union. CFT is objecting to reopening under circumstances that it considers unsafe for staff and students.
CFT President Julie Sellers calls the lawsuit “an unfortunate last resort" as the district moves to bring students back for the first time since November despite being in a county with “very high exposure and spread” according to the state's rating system.
The number of new cases in Ohio has trended downward over the past two weeks, and health officials say there’s growing evidence that children aren’t the main drivers of community spread and that transmission is relatively low in schools that adopt precautions such as mask-wearing and social distancing. But teachers have raised concerns that returning to classrooms remains a health risk.
In a statement shared over the weekend, the district acknowledged that employees expressed concerns and said it was “engaged in accommodating” those unable or unwilling to continue their work with students in person.
CPS said it would proceed with its phased-in plan to resume a blend of in-person and distance learning over the next few weeks, starting Tuesday with students in preschool through third grade and those in specialized classrooms. Families also have a fully virtual option.
The district is following state and federal health guidance, will continue distributing the vaccine to educators who want it, and will have on-site coronavirus testing for students and rapid testing access soon for staff, the statement said.
Gov. Mike DeWine asked schools to commit to a goal of offering at least some in-person learning by March 1 as a condition of getting prioritized vaccine access for their employees, and most districts made that commitment.
The Ohio Federation of Teachers supported the goal but objected to that condition, questioning how quickly school employees would get access to even the first dose of the vaccine, let alone the second required dose. The CDC has said it can take one to two weeks after the second shot to be protected.
DeWine has said the vaccine is scarce but the state is aiming for every school employee who wants it to get the first dose this month. About 91,000 school personnel are eligible to get the vaccine during this first week, according to the state's schedule for distribution by district.
