A Virginia school board voted 6-3 to reverse a vaccine mandate for teachers and students. Richmond, VA Superintendent Jason Kamras previously proposed a vaccine mandate that would have had unvaccinated teachers fired or suspended without pay.

Townhall reports:

Prior to the vote, Kamras defended the mandate, arguing it’s not a mandate “if there are no consequences.”

The move came after the board approved the resignation of 29 staff members on Monday, “most” over the mandate, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. But other resignations came months earlier.

Kamras’ administration began docking pay for teachers who were out of compliance with the mandate on Nov. 1, the same week he closed schools for a mental health week for teachers. On Monday, he also said he understood where the board was coming from. In an interview on Tuesday, Kamras said he was worried the district wouldn’t reach its goal of 100% vaccination.

“I think the consequences, however painful they are, have had an effect,” he said. “We went from 37% vaccinated to 92% vaccinated, and I don’t think that would have happened without those consequences.” […]

The latest vaccine mandate win comes as President Biden’s mandate goes into effect on January 4th.