New York Mandate Podcast

New York Mandate Podcast, Ep. 59: Attorney Christina Martinez

“People are still suffering. People are still out of work. . . . and a lot of them are still fighting these long legal battles. And the city has not backed down. . . . It really is up to the people, right? People need to reach out and let their voices be heard and let the people at the top, the mayor in particular, know that this is an important issue.” - Christina Martinez The New York Mandate Podcast and Firsthand Media are subscriber-supported. To receive new episodes and support my work, please consider becoming a subscriber. In this episode of the New York Mandate Podcast, I talk with Christina Martinez, an attorney who has represented dozens of New Yorkers who lost work, careers, and health under New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Martinez talks about some of the fundamental issues being addressed in ongoing lawsuits, and discusses the details of four recent decisions—one that brought reinstatement to a teacher, two that denied FDNY firefighters the relief they were seeking, and one that may bring an NYC COVID-19 vaccine mandate lawsuit before a jury for the first time. More from Christina Martinez:Christina Martinez’s website [https://www.exemptionlawyer.com/]You can also follow Christina Martinez on X [https://x.com/ExemptionLawyer] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/exemptionlawyerny/]. Here are some links related to things we talked about during the episode: New York State Senate Bill S7207 [https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7207]and Assembly Bill A3686 [https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A3686]These bills if passed will require the reinstatement of New York City employees who were dismissed from employment due to a COVID-19 vaccine requirement.New York City Council Resolution 0005-2024 [https://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6509365&GUID=9B31C0A1-7AB0-448E-9DAC-2B7FE299FA37&Options=ID|Text|&Search=reinstate]Resolution 5 calls on the New York State legislature to pass, and the governor to sign, state legislation that would reinstate NYC employees who were dismissed from employment due to non-compliance with the COVID-19 vaccination requirement. Bravest for Choice [https://www.bravestforchoice.org/]This organization advocates for NYC firefighters, fire inspectors, and EMS workers who were terminated or put on leave because they did not comply with the City’s vaccine mandates. About the New York Mandate Podcast The New York Mandate Podcast is an ongoing series of conversations exploring the costs and consequences of vaccine mandates in New York City. I talk with workers, students, and parents who have been directly affected by the mandates, as well as legal and policy experts. In late 2021, the City introduced a series of requirements for workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. These requirements were put in place through executive orders issued by the administration of former mayor Bill de Blasio. They covered nearly all workers in New York City, in both the public and private sectors. They also barred unvaccinated adults, including parents, from schools. Current mayor Eric Adams kept the mandates in place until November 1, 2022 for the private sector and February 10, 2023 for City workers, and has encouraged private employers to put their own vaccine requirements in place. The views expressed in the New York Mandate podcast are the personal opinions of the people speaking, and are not intended to provide medical or legal advice. Join the Conversation Have you lost your job, been put on leave, or lost opportunities to work as an independent contractor as a result of your decision not to comply with a vaccine mandate in New York? Did you take a vaccine against your wishes in order to keep your job? Please get in touch with me at NYMpodcast@protonmail.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firsthandmedia.substack.com/subscribe [https://firsthandmedia.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

New York Mandate Podcast, Ep. 58: Teacher and City Council Candidate Athena Clarke

“We’re going to continue to push and fight for the people like us, because we have to fight for ourselves. . . . when everything happened, I was like, ‘But we’re New Yorkers! This isn’t supposed to happen to us. We’re supposed to fight. And I feel like that old New York feeling disappeared, but now it’s starting to feel like, ‘All right, I think it’s coming back.’”- Athena Clarke The New York Mandate Podcast and Firsthand Media are subscriber-supported. To receive new episodes and support my work, please consider becoming a subscriber. In this episode of the New York Mandate Podcast, I talk with Athena Clarke, who was terminated from her position as a special education teacher with the New York City Department of Education in October 2021, because she declined to take a COVID-19 vaccine. Clarke had worked as a teacher for seven years. Her request for a religious exemption to the DOE vaccine mandate was denied. Clarke filed a lawsuit against the Board of Education for violating her due process rights. That case was not successful and went to an appeal, before being combined with seven similar lawsuits by tenured teachers that were heard by New York State’s highest court, the Court of Appeals. After the Court of Appeals affirmed the lower courts’ decisions against Clarke and the other teachers, Clarke decided to run for New York City Council in the 2025 election. She talked with me about the momentous changes in her life, her experiences as a litigant and candidate, and how the travails of recent years are fueling a new political movement. More from Athena Clarke: Athena Clarke’s website [https://2025clarkecitycouncil.com/]You can also follow Athena Clarke on X [https://x.com/Clarke4Council], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/clarke4council/], and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574031242418]. Here are some links related to things we talked about during the episode: Announcement of NYC Department of Education Employee Vaccine Mandate [https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/578-21/mayor-de-blasio-chancellor-porter-commissioner-chokshi-department-education]This is the August 23, 2021, announcement of the vaccine mandate for New York City Department of Education employees by then Mayor Bill de Blasio, Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter, and Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi. About the New York Mandate Podcast The New York Mandate Podcast is an ongoing series of conversations exploring the costs and consequences of vaccine mandates in New York City. I talk with workers, students, and parents who have been directly affected by the mandates, as well as legal and policy experts. In late 2021, the City introduced a series of requirements for workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. These requirements were put in place through executive orders issued by the administration of former mayor Bill de Blasio. They covered nearly all workers in New York City, in both the public and private sectors. They also barred unvaccinated adults, including parents, from schools. Current mayor Eric Adams kept the mandates in place until November 1, 2022 for the private sector and February 10, 2023 for City workers, and has encouraged private employers to put their own vaccine requirements in place. The views expressed in the New York Mandate podcast are the personal opinions of the people speaking, and are not intended to provide medical or legal advice. Join the Conversation Have you lost your job, been put on leave, or lost opportunities to work as an independent contractor as a result of your decision not to comply with a vaccine mandate in New York? Did you take a vaccine against your wishes in order to keep your job? Please get in touch with me at NYMpodcast@protonmail.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firsthandmedia.substack.com/subscribe [https://firsthandmedia.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

New York Mandate Podcast, Ep. 57: New York City Council Member Joann Ariola

“I did have a phone call with the mayor himself to discuss why the municipal workers, when we have such a shortage in staffing, why they haven’t been brought back, especially since the mandate has been lifted for such a long period of time. His response to me was, ‘I have a plan. I’m not ready to share that yet, but I do have a plan. I promise you.’” - Joann Ariola Firsthand Media and the New York Mandate Podcast are subscriber-supported. To receive new episodes and support my work, please consider becoming a subscriber. In this episode of the New York Mandate podcast, I talk with New York City Council Member and Minority Leader Joann Ariola. Ariola represents the 32nd District in Queens and is a member of the Common Sense Caucus. When New York City municipal workers who did not comply with the City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates were put on leave without pay, terminated, and pushed out of their jobs, Ariola became an advocate for them. She has advocated for their reinstatement at City Council hearings and other public events, and behind closed doors with City officials. Ariola is one of the sponsors of City Council Resolution 5, which calls upon state legislators to pass a bill reinstating New York City workers who lost their jobs under the mandates, and she is the lead petitioner in a summary inquiry petition seeking a judicial inquiry into the City’s COVID restrictions. She talked with me about some of the promising new developments in her efforts and what could come next. More from Council Member Joann Ariola: New York City Council Member Joann Ariola’s website [https://council.nyc.gov/district-32/]The Councilwoman’s official website. You can also find her on X [https://x.com/JoannAriola32]and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/Ariola2021]. This is the statement Ariola published on May 2 on X [https://x.com/JoannAriola32/status/1918350383832879380]: Here are some links related to things we talked about during the episode: Council Member Ariola’s comments at a recent UFT event [https://www.facebook.com/Ariola2021/videos/1586679402020976]Ariola advocated for reinstating educators who lost their jobs under the New York City Department of Education vaccine mandate at this recent event held by the United Federation of Teachers. Mayoral candidate Jim Walden has promised to rehire New York City workers [https://jimfornyc.com/commitments/public-servants-terminated-during-covid/]who lost their jobs under the City’s vaccine mandates if elected. Mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa has promised to reinstate New York City workers [https://x.com/JoannAriola32/status/1882953025695723764]who lost their jobs under the City’s vaccine mandates if elected. In this episode of The Finest Unfiltered, mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani responded to questions about his position on reinstating workers who lost their jobs under the City’s vaccine mandates: In this conversation with NYC retirees’ advocate Marianne Pizzitola, mayoral candidate Jessica Ramos responded to questions about her position on reinstating workers who lost their jobs under the City’s vaccine mandates: About the New York Mandate Podcast The New York Mandate Podcast is an ongoing series of conversations exploring the costs and consequences of vaccine mandates in New York City. I talk with workers, students, and parents who have been directly affected by the mandates, as well as legal and policy experts. In late 2021, the City introduced a series of requirements for workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. These requirements were put in place through executive orders issued by the administration of former mayor Bill de Blasio. They covered nearly all workers in New York City, in both the public and private sectors. They also barred unvaccinated adults, including parents, from schools. Current mayor Eric Adams kept the mandates in place until November 1, 2022 for the private sector and February 10, 2023 for City workers, and has encouraged private employers to put their own vaccine requirements in place. The views expressed in the New York Mandate podcast are the personal opinions of the people speaking, and are not intended to provide medical or legal advice. Join the Conversation Have you lost your job, been put on leave, or lost opportunities to work as an independent contractor as a result of your decision not to comply with a vaccine mandate in New York? Did you take a vaccine against your wishes in order to keep your job? Please get in touch with me at NYMpodcast@protonmail.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firsthandmedia.substack.com/subscribe [https://firsthandmedia.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

New York Mandate Podcast, Ep. 56: Teacher and Medical Freedom Advocate Michael Kane

“Full congressional investigation and hearings into employee vaccine mandates in New York City, leading to reinstatement . . . a process that is friendly to bring you back, not getting doors slammed in your face and just getting tricked and getting treated terribly . . . back pay, and an apology: That's what I think would begin the process of some healing in New York City.” - Michael Kane The New York Mandate Podcast is subscriber-supported. To receive new episodes and support my work, please consider becoming a subscriber. In this episode of the New York Mandate podcast, I talk with Michael Kane, a special education teacher who worked for the New York City Department of Education for over 14 years before he was fired for refusing to comply with the DOE’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Michael requested a religious exemption that was denied, and filed one of the earliest lawsuits challenging NYC’s COVID-19 workplace vaccine mandate policies. He founded the organization Teachers for Choice and has been a leader in New York’s medical freedom movement, protesting vaccine mandates and advocating for the reinstatement of workers who were fired for not complying with them. Michael talked with me about his own personal experiences during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the anti-mandate movement in New York, and the Make America Health Again (MAHA) movement that was one of the decisive factors in the 2024 presidential election. More from Michael Kane: Teachers for Choice Substack [https://teachersforchoice.org/]Teachers for Choice is an organization of teachers and parents that opposes medical mandates and advocates for teachers who have been adversely affected by mandates in the educational system. You can also find links to the podcast episodes Michael Kane hosts on Children’s Health Defense’s CHD TV on the Teachers for Choice Substack. Michael Kane and Teachers for Choice are also on X [https://x.com/teacher_choice] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/nyteachersforchoice2020/]. Here are some links related to things we talked about during the episode: American Values 2024 PAC [https://av24.org/home/]This political action committee supported the presidential candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. New York Freedom Rally [https://nooneyouknow.substack.com/publish/post/76680433] (now New York Freedom Network)This group led many of the protests against NYC’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates while they were in effect. Cara Castronuova [https://www.instagram.com/caracastronuova/]The boxer, political candidate, and television personality was one of the early protest leaders opposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Michael Kane mentioned Rita Palma and John Gilmore during our conversation. These two longtime opponents of mandatory vaccinations for both children and adults are founders of the organizations My Kids My Choice [https://www.mykidsmychoice.com/index.html#/] and Autism Action Network [https://www.autismactionnetwork.org/], respectively. Michael Kane mentioned fellow teacher Moe Olivier during our conversation. You can learn more about his story here: Attorney Sujata Gibson talked about Michael Kane’s lawsuit and related cases on the podcast in 2022: Announcement of NYC Department of Education Employee Vaccine Mandate [https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/578-21/mayor-de-blasio-chancellor-porter-commissioner-chokshi-department-education]This is the August 23, 2021, announcement of the vaccine mandate for New York City Department of Education employees by then Mayor Bill de Blasio, Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter, and Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi. About the New York Mandate Podcast The New York Mandate Podcast is an ongoing series of conversations exploring the costs and consequences of vaccine mandates in New York City. I talk with workers, students, and parents who have been directly affected by the mandates, as well as legal and policy experts. In late 2021, the City introduced a series of requirements for workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. These requirements were put in place through executive orders issued by the administration of former mayor Bill de Blasio. They covered nearly all workers in New York City, in both the public and private sectors. They also barred unvaccinated adults, including parents, from schools. Current mayor Eric Adams kept the mandates in place until November 1, 2022 for the private sector and February 10, 2023 for City workers, and has encouraged private employers to put their own vaccine requirements in place. The views expressed in the New York Mandate podcast are the personal opinions of the people speaking, and are not intended to provide medical or legal advice. Join the Conversation Have you lost your job, been put on leave, or lost opportunities to work as an independent contractor as a result of your decision not to comply with a vaccine mandate in New York? Did you take a vaccine against your wishes in order to keep your job? Please get in touch with me at NYMpodcast@protonmail.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firsthandmedia.substack.com/subscribe [https://firsthandmedia.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

New York Mandate Podcast, Ep. 55: Special Education Educational Assistant Garrett

“It was closer to the edge and closer to being on the street than any situation I'd been in in my life. They made economic warfare on us, it's not an exaggeration to say—like, everything short of physical assault, everything short of seizing you and locking you up was done to us.” - Garrett The New York Mandate Podcast is subscriber-supported. To receive new episodes and support my work, please consider becoming a subscriber. In this episode of the New York Mandate podcast, I talk with Garrett, an educational assistant who works with special needs children. After working as a paraprofessional for the New York City Department of Education for 15 years, he was put on leave without pay in November 2021 and then fired February 2022 under the DOE’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Garrett requested a religious exemption that was denied, and was also denied unemployment insurance after his employment was terminated. After losing his apartment in Brooklyn and finding temporary work in New Jersey, Garrett left his home town of New York City. He’s now working as an educational assistant again in New Jersey. Garrett talked with me about the financial and social impact of the mandate in his life, and how his experiences growing up informed his views on the medical establishment. He also talked about how his experiences with the mandate and the medical freedom movement have affected his views on politics and society, which he writes about on his Substack, The Social Populist [https://socialpopulist.substack.com/]. More from Garrett: The Social Populist [https://socialpopulist.substack.com/]Garrett’s Substack. Garrett on X.com [https://x.com/LeftVLockdown] Max Blumenthal & Garrett Ramirez of NYC Teachers for Choice on Mass Layoffs, Kyrie, Socialism & more [https://www.spreaker.com/episode/max-blumenthal-garrett-ramirez-of-nyc-teachers-for-choice-on-mass-layoffs-kyrie-socialism-more--47001542]Garrett and Max Blumenthal from The Grayzone [https://thegrayzone.com/] talked about mandates in October 2021 with Redspin Sports host and Jersey City public school teacher Nate Wallace. Here are some links related to things we talked about during the episode: Teachers for Choice [https://teachersforchoice.org/]This organization of teachers and parents opposes medical mandates and advocates for teachers who have been adversely affected by mandates in the educational system. It was founded by New York City teacher Michael Kane. You can also find Teachers for Choice on Substack. [https://teachersforchoice.substack.com/] After our conversation, Teachers for Choice endorsed Donald Trump for President [https://teachersforchoice.substack.com/p/teachers-for-choice-endorses-donald]. National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA) [https://www.congress.gov/bill/99th-congress/house-bill/5546]NCVIA was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. The act granted immunity from financial liability in vaccine injury claims to manufacturers, among other measures regulating vaccine production, monitoring, and injury compensation. “If We Let Them Get Away with This, What’s Next?” A Convo with People's Convoy Leader Brian Brase [https://rumble.com/v2609r0-if-we-let-them-get-away-with-this-whats-next-a-convo-with-peoples-convoy-le.html?mref=uvsft&mrefc=3]Garrett mentioned the Canadian and American trucker convoy protests against COVID-19 vaccine mandates. In 2023, one of the leaders of the American convoy talked with me about it. You can also watch him speak about it at a small gathering here [https://rumble.com/v2baenk-it-was-absolutely-amazing-brian-brase-talks-about-the-peoples-convoy-in-new.html?e9s=src_v1_ucp]. Announcement of NYC Department of Education Employee Vaccine Mandate [https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/578-21/mayor-de-blasio-chancellor-porter-commissioner-chokshi-department-education]This is the August 23, 2021, announcement of the vaccine mandate for New York City Department of Education employees by then Mayor Bill de Blasio, Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter, and Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi. About the New York Mandate Podcast The New York Mandate Podcast is an ongoing series of conversations exploring the costs and consequences of vaccine mandates in New York City. I talk with workers, students, and parents who have been directly affected by the mandates, as well as legal and policy experts. In late 2021, the City introduced a series of requirements for workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. These requirements were put in place through executive orders issued by the administration of former mayor Bill de Blasio. They covered nearly all workers in New York City, in both the public and private sectors. They also barred unvaccinated adults, including parents, from schools. Current mayor Eric Adams kept the mandates in place until November 1, 2022 for the private sector and February 10, 2023 for City workers, and has encouraged private employers to put their own vaccine requirements in place. The views expressed in the New York Mandate podcast are the personal opinions of the people speaking, and are not intended to provide medical or legal advice. Join the Conversation Have you lost your job, been put on leave, or lost opportunities to work as an independent contractor as a result of your decision not to comply with a vaccine mandate in New York? Did you take a vaccine against your wishes in order to keep your job? Please get in touch with me at NYMpodcast@protonmail.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firsthandmedia.substack.com/subscribe [https://firsthandmedia.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]