Sangamon Sun

A Springfield teacher who opposes vaccination mandates and refused to comply with state mandates requiring her to produce proof of vaccination has revealed that she was vaccinated in June.

According to MSN News, business and math teacher at Southeast High School Kadence Koen risked being placed on administrative leave by refusing to present a vaccination card to the school district. 

Koen eventually relented and submitted a copy of her vaccination card to Springfield School District 186. She said she felt compelled to submit the information because she missed her students.

"I didn't want to have to produce a vaccination card because I don't think that's legal or appropriate, but if you ask me to choose between my personal beliefs and my students, my students will win," Koen told the State Journal-Register.

Koen isn't the only Illinois teacher who has defied the vaccine mandate. Dupage Policy Journal reports that Indian Prairie teacher Karly Olsen resigned weeks after posting an anti-vax, anti-mask video explaining why she wasn't going to be teaching in school any more.

"The reason I am not at school is the administration has enforced the jab mandate, as well as if you refuse the jab, then they are requiring testing," Olson said, according to the Dupage Policy Journal. "I have a very strong stance on that. I feel that it is unconstitutional. I will never, ever, ever inject my body with something that is experimental. It doesn’t qualify as a real vaccine. It is gene therapy. And if you asked any (school board members) not one person will be able to tell you what is in the shot."

In late October, Koen seemed to react to coverage of the news that she'd been vaccinated with a Facebook post.

"Anti-mandate does not mean anti-vaccination," Koen wrote in an Oct. 28 Facebook post. "It means pro-freedom, pro-medical autonomy, pro-liberty. Shouldn’t all Americans agree with freedom of choice?"

According to the Kane County Reporter, St. Charles elementary school teacher Nicole Cournaya was fired for not complying with the mandate and has filed a lawsuit against the state.  

Nicole Cournaya taught for more than 20 years and was fired after refusing the COVID-19 vaccination.