Fired by Countryside for refusing vaccine, woman wants her job back

By Steve Metsch 

A woman who lost her job with the Countryside Police Department in November 2021 – because she refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine – now wants it back.

After the Countryside City Council meeting of April 26, Julia Torres said she should be rehired because of a recent ruling which has Chicago hiring back former city employees who had been dismissed for their refusing the vaccine.

Her mother, Maria Nedelcu, spoke on behalf of Torres during the public comment portion of the council meeting.

Torres, 21, had worked as a community service officer for six months before she lost her job after she refused to receive the vaccine, Nedelcu said.

“In view of the recent ruling by the Illinois Labor Relations Board that all Chicago city employees terminated for the same reason be reinstated with full back pay plus 7 percent interest, Julia is asking that the city council comply with this ruling in regards to her situation,” Nedelcu said.

In a story at wttw.com, the Illinois Labor Relations Board overturned the COVID-19 vaccine mandate imposed on city of Chicago employees in October 2021 by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, ruling that her administration failed to bargain with employee unions as required by law.

The board ordered the city to rehire employees that were terminated after they refused to get the vaccine and awarded back pay – plus interest – to those employees who were disciplined because they refused to comply with the vaccine mandate.

Nedelcu said she hoped to hear from Countryside by May 1. As of 4 p.m. that day, she had not heard a word.

“If you’re not willing to reinstate Julia as a CSO and award her the back pay with 7 percent interest she is due, we’re asking that a full explanation of denial be given to her in writing and signed by Mayor McDermott, all six aldermen and the city attorney,” Nedelcu said.

Mayor Sean McDermott said he had “no comment.”

Torres said she enjoyed working for the police department as a community service officer who was stationed in the city hall. “We’re the people in the blue shirts who process most of the stuff,” she said.

She refused to get the vaccine because she’s had side effects before from vaccinations.

“I told them I could do testing (for the virus) twice a week, as much as they need me to,” Torres said.

“They denied her,” Nedelcu said.

Torres was 19 when she lost her job with the police department.

Nedelcu said, “we’re hoping they do right by her.”

“I really loved the job. I grew to like the officers a lot, and people who came in to get help,” Torres said. “At first, they gave me notices. I had a religious exemption.”

Nedelcu explained: “We believe in God and the Bible states we shouldn’t put anything foreign in our bodies. We don’t vaccinate. We’re healthy.”

Torres said that the day she was let go, she was told by her supervisor and City Administrator Gail Paul that she was losing her job because she had failed to get vaccinated as the city required.

“They said I did my job right. I got a little teary-eyed, but I get it,” Torres said.

Nedelcu said because she had not received anything from the city, “I guess I’ll be going to the next meeting.”

The city council was set to meet at 7:30 p.m. May 10.