Falcons fire scout for refusing to get vaccinated
The Atlanta Falcons have terminated Midwest scout Rodrik David for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine. This comes after the Falcons implemented a policy that mandated that all full and part-time franchise associates be fully vaccinated.
🚨 Breaking: #Falcons Midwest scout Rodrik David - a well regarded rising star in the league - has been terminated for his refusal to get the Covid vaccine. Everyone in the organization has received the vaccine. Falcons offered a team statement, which is attached. 🚨 https://t.co/BGq0dVcjkp
The news comes as concerns grow around the country over the scope of vaccine mandates, many of which are considered stringent by a large portion of the population.
However, it must be noted that private employers have long regulated internal safety standards to which employees and associates must comply. The Falcons' COVID-19 vaccination mandate policy is not so far out in that regard since it ensures that others in the organization are not exposed, with the same severity, to the COVID-19 virus that has claimed close to 700,000 in the United States.
Have NFL teams fired employees over vaccination status as the Falcons did?
While the Atlanta Falcons are sure to grab attention over their statement as they become the first team to fire an employee because of their vaccination status, we are sure they will not be the last.
Teams like the Buffalo Bills and the Las Vegas Raiders require mandatory vaccinations for fans. Then there are other teams such as the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints also have stringent requirements in place. Even broadcasters have put stringent requirements for their staff in place in many cases, causing many people to resign effectively because of their vaccination status.
This will be the first fall in the last 15 years I won’t be on the sidelines for College Football.
My heart hurts posting this but I’m at peace with my decision. https://t.co/np5V3gdrfW
The closest anyone came to outright admitting before this to firing an employee due to a vaccination mandate was when Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer said they had taken into account a player's vaccination status before trimming down the roster. As the NFLPA opened an investigation into those comments, others have been less forthright in their assertions.
As COVID fatigue sets in the USA, people are gradually turning on those refusing to get vaccinated. Right now, unvaccinated people are the major drivers of hospitalizations and deaths across the country. The situation has also prompted President Joe Biden to issue a vaccine mandate of his own.
Given this changing landscape, it is not at all surprising to see the Atlanta Falcons deciding that they too were going to have a vaccine mandate. Expect more teams to follow suit as the pandemic rages unabated.