“Operation Shoe Drop” a silent statewide protest against NYS State Assembly Bill A08378, was held at about 85 districts across NYS on Thursday evening according to organizers.
Parents of students in Batavia City Schools gathered at District Offices at the High School on State street to drop off pairs of shoes from students who will be pulled from public school if Assembly Bill A08378 is approved. The proposed bill authorizes the commissioner of health to execute a program of immunization against COVID-19 for purposes of state aid to schools; requiring immunization against COVID-19 for attendance at school.
At the time Video News Service visited Batavia High School , there were about 76 pairs of shoes on display with notes from children or their parents.
“Every pair of shoes here represents a child, that if this mandate goes through, will be pulled from the public school system and home schooled,” says Parent Organizer Jo Coburn.
Even though this is a state issue, Coburn feels that school districts can stand up to a forced mandate for COVID-19 vaccines in schools.
“We feel that the districts have some pull and they should stand up. If its mandated then they have a lot of students they are going to potentially lose and that becomes a problem. It should be a choice.”
The Bill is currently in Committee in the Assembly.
Coburn says Attica, Alexander, LeRoy, Oakfield/ Alabama, Pembroke, and Byron Bergen participated here locally.
Tomorrow morning at 10:30am, Coburn says organizers will collect all the pairs of shoes and donate them to the Community Closet at Robert Morris at Richmond avenue and Union street.
(Update: 11:40pm, according to parent organizers the shoes have been removed from the front of the school )
