Heroes Facing Discrimination
As vaccinations rapidly become a new condition of employment, the very same people we once celebrated as heroes are now being ostracized and forced to choose between their beliefs and their career. And for most, this means sacrificing their livelihood.
We Are Still Heroes was established to be a voice for families negatively impacted by workplace discrimination. Our hope is to build a community of supporters that can lend prayer, financial aid, employment, resources and encouragement to those who have been terminated, placed on leave or forced to withdraw due to vaccine mandates.
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Vince T.
Sheriff Deputy
Relieved of duty for mask mandate noncompliance 10/25/21
For three years, Vince has been an LA County Sheriff's deputy working in the county's most dangerous and notorious jails. Standing up for his right to choose, in addition to choosing to be unvaccinated, he believes that wearing a mask in the jail environment should be a choice. Masks make his job difficult and even dangerous, as they restrict his ability to breathe and to make a quick decision or reaction. And for Vince, a split second could be the difference between life and death. His removal delivers an additional blow to a department that already has a shortage of deputies, putting the jail systems further at risk for instability and chaos.
Jen P.
Registered Nurse.
Terminated for vaccine mandate noncompliance 10/28/21.
While working in the postpartum unit, she helped hundreds of patients adjust to their new life as a mom. And being a mother to a newborn, she questioned the safety of the vaccine when it came to breastfeeding her own child. When faced with the mandate and a denied medical exemption request, she ultimately decided to stand for her right to choose and for her daughter’s health. After 12 years of dedicated service to her department and her patients, she was terminated on her last shift.
@jengpetersMichael M.
Police Officer.
Removed from field duty for vaccine mandate noncompliance 11/05/21.
Presented with the choice of taking the vaccine or covid tests twice a week (which the officers would be required to pay for out of their own pocket), he chose to stand up for his constitutional right for medical freedom. After 14 years of serving and protecting the community of Los Angeles, Michael turned in his badge and gun. He wants to make sure his two young children know that their father stood up for what is right.
Richard A.
Police Officer.
Subjected to injustice for vaccine mandate noncompliance 11/05/21.
Richard has been an LAPD police officer for 8 years. Patrolling the south-central section of Los Angeles, he serves and protects low-income families. While he awaits a decision on his religious exemption request, he and other unvaccinated officers, will be required to take covid tests twice a week, which they will be required to pay for out of their own pocket. Richard has already decided that he will stand up and fight against this form of discrimation, even if it means risking his career. This mandate is delivering a blow to a department that already has a shortage of officers.
Tori J.
Registered Nurse.
Placed on unpaid leave for vaccine mandate noncompliance 10/28/21.
During the height of the pandemic, as a nurse in the Telemetry unit, she continually put herself at risk to help hundreds of suffering patients in need. However, the day her request for religious exemption was denied, she was disgracefully escorted out of the same place she spent years putting others first. HR had determined that “she didn’t have a sincerely held religious belief.” As a devoted Christian, not only was this statement offensive and unsatisfactory, but a HR department was also now questioning her faith. Not having an easy choice, she ultimately decided to stand up for her beliefs and defend medical freedom with the strength of God and support from her family.
Francis Moreno
Special Needs Preschool Teacher.
Removed from in-classroom instruction for vaccine noncompliance 10/15/21.
For several years, through her school’s 2–4-year special needs program, Francis formed a special bond with her students and gained the parents’ trust. Now that she is being pulled from her classroom, she can no longer give the specialized love, care and attention these children need—which takes years to develop. The parents that depend on her are now left with the devastating uncertainty of not knowing if there will be a teacher capable of guiding their child’s development and well-being.
Yvonne J
Elementary School Teacher.
Removed from in-classroom instruction for vaccine noncompliance 10/15/21.
For over 14 years, she inspired 2nd graders to explore and experience their world. Teachers have a giant impact on their students’ development - a responsibility Yvonne did not take lightly. Now, her passion for shaping the young minds of the next generation has been compromised. She applied for a religious exemption; however even if approved no one who is unvaccinated will be allowed on campus and she would be forced to apply for an online class position. There is already a shortage of quality, dedicated educators. Now, because Yvonne is standing up for her rights, her students are paying the cost.
Josh H
Patient Care Technician.
Placed on unpaid leave for vaccine noncompliance 10/1/21.
In addition to being a licensed EMT and Patient Care Technician Josh is also a husband and father to two young girls, 4 and 2-years-old. He chose not to file a religious exemption because he felt it was written in a biased way that did not respect his religious faith. He didn’t take the decision to not vaccinate lightly, but ultimately trusted his faith in Christ. What’s more, he wanted to be a role model to his kids - to show them that if you believe in something, you need to stand up for it, whatever the cost.
Alissa Nazar
Registered Nurse.
Forced to withdraw for vaccine noncompliance 7/1/20.
Alissa worked in the emergency room department for over 14 years, passionately helping care for and save thousands of lives. In the initial months of the pandemic, she knew that vaccine mandates would eventually be required as a condition for employment. Like too many others, she made the heart-breaking decision to stand up for her rights and leave the department she loved, the people she cared for, the lives she helped mend. As the mother and financial supporter of two children, she had to find other work to continue to provide for her family.
Jackie McCarroll
Registered Nurse.
Placed on unpaid leave for vaccine noncompliance 10/1/21.
For over 21 years in pediatrics, Jackie has cared for thousands of little children in need. She prides herself as an advocate for patients’ rights and their families. Now that she has been placed on unpaid leave, her passion for helping children has been ripped from her and as a single mother she is unsure how she will continue to support her 15-year-old son. She had requested a religious exemption on several occasions, which was either met with silence, scorn or denial. Our healthcare system is willing to sacrifice an accomplished pediatric nurse like Jackie without respecting the religious and medical rights of these individuals.
Garen Pido
Registered Nurse.
Separated from her peers for vaccine noncompliance 9/15/21.
Garen is one of the “lucky” ones whose religious exemption was approved. However, because she is not vaccinated, she has experienced groundless discrimination at her workplace. She and two other unvaccinated co-workers are required to take frequent COVID tests, whereas her vaccinated peers are not. Even worse, she is being segregated from her peers and is no longer allowed to eat or set foot in the breakroom and is required to eat and drink outside of the building. This has created a discriminatory work environment, where her and other unvaccinated health care workers have been relegated to second class status.
Bre Brandrowsky
Emergency Room Tech.
Placed on unpaid leave for vaccine noncompliance 10/1/21.
Throughout the pandemic, Bre was on the front lines saving lives as a first responder. Now, as she stands up and defends her personal choice to not take the vaccine, she has been placed on unpaid leave. Healthcare workers have borne the brunt of this pandemic and removing essential team members only exacerbates an already challenging situation. Instead of continuing to serve and heal patients she’s left wondering how she will continue to support her 7-year-old son.
Elizabeth Carranza
Family Nurse Practitioner.
Terminated for vaccine noncompliance 9/29/21.
Elizabeth is passionate about her career as a family nurse. For years, she’s assisted hundreds of low-income Hispanic families. When faced with the vaccine mandate, she submitted a religious exemption in hopes that she could continue to give care to underprivileged families. Her request was rejected because her department does not accept religious exemptions. As a mother of two young children, she knows she must teach them to stand up for their rights and to fight injustice, even as her ability to support her family is put at risk. Ultimately, she holds onto her faith and trusts that God will protect and provide for them.
Josh Sattley
Firefighter.
Placed on unpaid leave for vaccine noncompliance 10/1/21.
At home, Josh is a husband and father to four children. He is the sole breadwinner in his family. After his religious exemption was denied, he was placed on unpaid leave and left with the uncertainty of how he will provide for his family. At work, Josh has dedicated 12 years of his life serving others as a firefighter. He saw his fellow firefighters as a second family. It’s more than a job—it’s a calling, a way of life. These service families are being ripped apart by the vaccine mandate and ultimately gutting the first responder system.
Lauren Mochizuki
Registered Nurse.
Placed on unpaid leave for vaccine noncompliance 9/21/21.
For 12 years, she cared for thousands of emergency room patients in need. However, as vaccine mandates became more commonplace, she was subjected to a new form of discrimination. Only unvaccinated workers were required to Covid test twice a week. And, after her religious exemption was denied and placed on unpaid leave, she is uncertain how she will financially support her two young children.