SAN DIEGO — Multiple local community college employees have lost their jobs over their COVID-19 vaccination status.

One employee who lost her job over the district’s COVID vaccine mandate called her termination “discrimination.”

“You refuse to consider the current sunsetting of COVID emergency declaration and vaccine mandates in the city, state and across the country,” said Joanna Aud, who claims she lost her job over her refusal to get the vaccine. “You have failed in your duties to apply facts instead of opinions to your resolutions and policies.”

Aud spoke out at a San Diego Community College District meeting against her firing and the district’s COVID vaccination mandate.

This district confirmed four employees have been terminated for refusing to get the vaccine.

“This is not right and especially for these valued faculty, counselors and these other staff people that have been very loyal to the school and very dedicated to the students here and I think it’s unfair to the students to lose these valuable people,” district employee Patty Stottlemyer said.

The district released a statement saying in part:

“The Board’s decision was informed by public health agency guidance, recommendations from infectious disease experts and epidemiologists, and requirements imposed by other public higher education institutions, including the University of California and California State University systems.”

The district says it made accommodations for some employees, but some folks argued the fired employees should be reinstated. 

“These mandates on people and to jeopardize their jobs in the current climate just makes no sense,” said Franklin Stiles who opposes the mandate.

Meanwhile, California ended its COVID-19 State of Emergency just two days ago.