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Profiles

Teachers for Choice

Teachers for Choice (TFC) is an American activist group based in New York. It was founded by Michael Kane, a national grassroots organizer for Children's Health Defense (CHD).[1]

History

On September 6, 2023, Judge Ralph Porzio of the Supreme Court of the State of New York ruled that ten New York City school teachers were to return to work with backpay, benefits and seniority from the time of their suspension.[2][3] The court found that the denials of the teachers' applications for exemption on religious grounds from the City's mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy were "arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable."[4]

Michael Kane presented at work the following day, joined by Matthew Connor of Bravest for Choice. Kane was told he was not allowed to work until he was contacted by the New York City Department of Education, which flagged the court decision as "under review."[5]

On October 21, 2024, T4C announced the launch of Make America Healthy Again.Vote and called on the the "vaccine choice community" to sign a petition to "encourage President Trump to support the issues of the Vaccine Choice community."[6]

Organization

TFC solicits donations through the Health Freedom Defense Fund.[7]

Personnel

Name Position Notes
Michael Kane Founder[1:1] United Federation of Teachers (UFT, former), Children's Health Defense (CHD), Honest Media Project
Jessica Anderson Steering Committee[8] United Federation of Teachers (UFT)
Anthony Bloch Steering Committee United Federation of Teachers (UFT, former)
Crystal Bozeman-Palacio Steering Committee -
Peggy Canfield Steering Committee New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)
Valerie Domenech Steering Committee New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)
Jen Farrell Steering Committee New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)
Monique G. Steering Committee United Federation of Teachers (UFT)
Dennison Joyce Steering Committee United Federation of Teachers (UFT)
Renee Lucca Steering Committee United Federation of Teachers (UFT)
Jill MacSwan Steering Committee New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)
Melissa Melissinos Steering Committee New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)
Mawuli Olivierre Steering Committee United Federation of Teachers (UFT, former)
Kimberly Plush Steering Committee New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)
Garrett Ramirez Steering Committee United Federation of Teachers (UFT, former), Left Against Lockdown
Vicki Savini Steering Committee New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)
Kate W. Steering Committee Clarence Teachers' Association (CTA)
Sujata Gibson Advisor[8:1] -
John Gilmore Advisor Autism Action Network
Mary Holland Advisor Children's Health Defense (CHD)
Joe Mugivan Advisor -
Rita Palma Advisor My Kids My Choice
Michael Sussmann Advisor Sussman & Associates
Tramell Thompson Advisor Progressive Action

Partners

Allies and partners of TFC include:[9][10]

  • Autism Action Network
  • Bravest for Choice
  • Children's Health Defense
  • Children's Health Defense New York Chapter
  • Cops 4 Freedom
  • Court Workers for Choice
  • Do We Need This?
  • Educators for Freedom (E4F)
  • Finest for Choice
  • Finest Unfiltered
  • Folding Chairs
  • Frederick Douglass Foundation
  • Medical Professionals for Informed Consent (MPIC)
  • My Kids My Choice
  • New York Alliance for Vaccine Rights
  • New York Freedom Rally
  • New York Health Voters
  • New York Workers for Choice
  • Progressive Action
  • Restore Childhood
  • Rockland Bergen Health Freedom Alliance
  • Strongest for Choice
  • Strongest for Freedom
  • Uniting New York State

Publications

  1. Michael Kane. Children’s Health Defense. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://web.archive.org/web/20230104010224/https://childrenshealthdefense.org/authors/michael-kane/ ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. Baletti, B. (2023, September 7). “Huge” Victory: New York Supreme Court Reinstates 10 Teachers Fired for Refusing COVID Vaccine. Children’s Health Defense. http://archive.today/2023.09.08-000914/https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/nyc-school-teacher-victory-covid-vaccine-mandate/ ↩︎

  3. Pandolfo, C. (2023, September 8). NYC teachers win jobs back with backpay after refusing COVID-19 vaccine. Fox News. https://web.archive.org/web/20230908192734/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nyc-teachers-win-jobs-back-backpay-refusing-covid-19-vaccine ↩︎

  4. Porzio, R. J. (2023, September 6). Teachers for Choice v. City of New York, and the New York City Department of Education. Children’s Health Defense; Supreme Court of the State of New York. https://web.archive.org/web/20230908042725/https://childrenshealthdefense.org/wp-content/uploads/september-2023-new-york-teachers-decision-order.pdf ↩︎

  5. Kane, M. (2023, September 8). I was NOT allowed to work this week. Substack; Teachers for Choice. http://archive.today/2023.09.08-193118/https://teachersforchoice.substack.com/p/i-was-not-allowed-to-work-this-week ↩︎

  6. Kane, M. (2024, October 21). The Vaccine Choice Community is Lobbying President Trump Right Now! Substack; Teachers for Choice. http://archive.today/2024.10.21-184103/https://teachersforchoice.substack.com/p/the-vaccine-choice-community-is-lobbying ↩︎

  7. Health Freedom Defense Fund (HFDF). Anedot. Retrieved August 12, 2022, from https://web.archive.org/web/20220812000926/https://secure.anedot.com/health-freedom-defense-fund-hfdf/nytc ↩︎

  8. New York Teacherv. (2020, October 4). Steering Committee Members and Advisors. Teachers for Choice. https://web.archive.org/web/20241004192803/https://teachersforchoice.org/2020/10/04/steering-committee-members/ ↩︎ ↩︎

  9. About. Teachers for Choice. Retrieved September 8, 2023, from https://web.archive.org/web/20230908194832/https://teachersforchoice.org/about/ ↩︎

  10. Allies. New York Freedom Rally. Retrieved March 7, 2023, from https://web.archive.org/web/20230307055242/https://newyorkfreedomrally.org/allies ↩︎