The Trump administration has directed all federal agencies to erase the COVID-19 vaccination statuses of federal employees.

“The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued new guidance directing all federal agencies to eliminate any record of a federal employee’s COVID-19 vaccination status, prior noncompliance with vaccine mandates, or requests for exemptions from such mandates,” the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) stated in a press release.

“Things got out of hand during the pandemic, and federal workers were fired, punished, or sidelined for simply making a personal medical decision,” OPM Director Scott Kupor said.

“That should never have happened. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we’re making sure the excesses of that era do not have lingering effects on federal workers,” Kupor continued.

Cont. from the OPM:

This move comes in response to recent litigation and is part of the Trump Administration’s broader effort to reverse what it has called “harmful pandemic-era policies” imposed under the Biden Administration. Effective immediately, agencies are barred from using an individual’s vaccine history in any employment-related decision, including hiring, promotion, discipline, or termination. Unless an employee affirmatively opts out within 90 days, all vaccine-related information must be permanently removed from both physical and electronic personnel files.

ADVERTISEMENT

The directive follows the Justice Department reaching a settlement with a group of federal employees and contractors who sued the Biden administration in December 2021 over COVID-19 jab mandates.

“Significant Victory” – Group Of Federal Employees And Contractors Reach Settlement With Justice Department After Suing Biden Administration Over COVID-19 Jab Mandates

“This settlement marks a significant victory for individual rights and serves as a powerful, implicit acknowledgment of the government’s overreach, achieved through Feds For Freedom’s relentless pursuit of justice,” Feds For Freedom stated in a press release.

“As part of the settlement, the federal government must expunge COVID-19 vaccine status records, prohibit discrimination based on vaccine status, and reimburse a portion of Feds for Freedom’s legal fees,” it continued.

“Our victory is a long-overdue confirmation of what we have asserted all along: COVID mandates were unconstitutional, immoral, and un-American. Patriotic Americans, including Feds For Freedom, proudly held the line against an unprecedented attack on our most basic freedoms, withstanding years of relentless assault by petty tyrants determined to destroy our constitutional republic,” Feds For Freedom President Marcus Thornton said.

The Defender wrote:

The federal government did not admit wrongdoing, but the settlement terms “represent a tacit acknowledgment of the harm caused by the Biden mandate,” Feds For Freedom said.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management has 60 days to issue a directive mandating the destruction of all information related to federal employees’ COVID-19 vaccine status, non-compliance with the mandate, or exemption requests from personnel files, unless an employee opts out, according to the settlement.

The agreement contains “transformative measures to rectify past harms” and “delivers unprecedented protections for federal workers and sets a critical precedent for safeguarding personal medical choices, religious freedoms, and Constitutional rights,” Feds For Freedom stated.

Kim Mack Rosenberg, general counsel for Children’s Health Defense, said the outcome “carries with it significant protections for federal workers.” She added:

“As some of the authoritarian measures put in place by the Biden administration continue to be rolled back, federal employees have greater assurances that their individual healthcare decisions will remain private and will not impact employment — as should be the case for every American.

ADVERTISEMENT

“COVID-19 mandates did tremendous damage. This settlement is a positive step in righting some of those wrongs. I hope it has a far-reaching impact and resonance beyond federal workers.”

Read the full press release:

 

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.