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Miami Private School Won’t Employ Vaccinated Teachers, Citing Misinformation

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2 years ago

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  • A Florida private school named Centner Academy recently sent letters to faculty and parents saying it will no longer allow teachers vaccinated against COVID-19 to be near students.
  • The school cited misinformation when explaining the decision by falsely claiming that “tens of thousands of women all over the world” recently reported “adverse reproductive issues” after coming close to vaccinated people.
  • Teachers who choose to get vaccinated over the summer will not be allowed to return until clinical trials on the vaccine are completed and will only be rehired if their position remains available. 
  • Many are concerned that the letter could make parents believe the claims are based on science when they actually have no basis.

School Spreads Misinformation

Many businesses and schools across the country have encouraged their staff to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but a private school in Florida is doing the exact opposite. 

That school is called the Centner Academy, which has two campuses in Miami. 

“We cannot allow recently vaccinated people to be near our students until more information is known,” the school’s co-founder, Leila Centner, wrote in a letter to facility last week. 

As far as why, she allegedly claimed that “reports have surfaced recently of non-vaccinated people being negatively impacted by interacting with people who have been vaccinated.”

“Even among our own population, we have at least three women with menstrual cycles impacted after having spent time with a vaccinated person,” she added.

Those claims, of course, are false. Centner appears to be repeating this completely untrue idea that vaccinated people can somehow pass the vaccine to others and thereby affect their reproductive systems. 

In her letter, she gave employees three options:

  • They can Inform the school if they have already been vaccinated, so they could be kept physically distanced from students.
  • They can let the school know if they get the vaccine before the end of the school year for that same reason. 
  • Finally, they can wait until the school year is over to get vaccinated.

Teachers who get the vaccine over the summer, however, will not be allowed to return until clinical trials on the vaccine are completed. They’ll also only be brought back “if a position is still available at that time,” which effectively makes their employment contingent on avoiding the vaccine.

The school even required all employees to disclose their vaccination information by completing a confidential form, and it threatened legal action against anyone who is found to have lied on the paperwork. 

Parents Learn of New Policy

A notice about this change was also sent to parents Monday, which read in part,“It is our policy, to the extent possible, not to employ anyone who has taken the experimental COVID-19 injection until further information is known.”

The notice even says, “Tens of thousands of women all over the world have recently been reporting adverse reproductive issues from being in close proximity with those who have received any one of the COVID-19 injections.”

But that email cites no scientific evidence for this. It only links to unofficial websites that claim to track deaths related to the vaccine.

Now, many experts have expressed concerns because they believe this letter could make parents think the claims are based on science when they are actually baseless. That could potentially cause a ripple effect if the misinformation spreads elsewhere. 

Still, the news might not be surprising coming from a school with founders who have been known to also spread misinformation about mask-wearing and the virus in general. 

According to The Miami Herald, a former teacher at Centner Academy said in September that there was very little social distancing and wearing of masks, if any, among staff members while a mandatory mask order was in place in Miami-Dade County. The teacher added that Leila Centner circulated misinformation about coronavirus and masks in group chats among teachers.

The New York Times also noted that Leila and her husband, who she co-founded the school with, have heavily donated to the Republican Party and Trump’s re-election campaign. They’ve even had guest speakers at their school like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — a prominent anti-vaccine figure.

On their school website, they claim to support “medical freedom from mandated vaccines.” 

One Centner Academy parent told NBC Miami that if she could pull her child out of the school now she would, but she has already paid $30,000 for tuition.

“They’re very pro ‘my body, my choice,’ and yet, it’s the complete opposite of that is what she’s actually telling these teachers. It’s your body, but it’s her choice.”

As the emails began to make nationwide headlines, the United Teachers of Dade released a statement.

“As shamefully seen by the actions of the illegally run and uncertified Centner Academy, these schools not only teach misinformation and peddle propaganda, they punish teachers who try to protect themselves and their families,” it said. “We are horrified by the unsafe conditions and labor violations that colleagues at schools such as this one have to endure due to lack of union representation and contract rights.”

Some experts have also argued that their policy could face legal challenges.

Still, the school told reporters, “We are not 100 percent sure the Covid injections are safe and there are too many unknown variables for us to feel comfortable at this current time.”

See what others are saying: (The Miami Herald) (The New York Times) (NBC Miami)

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Survey and Census Data Shows Record Number of Americans are Struggling Financially

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1 week ago

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May 23, 2023

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Americans are choosing not to pursue medical treatment more and more frequently as they encounter money troubles.

A recent federal survey shows that a record number of Americans were worse off financially in 2022 than a year prior.

Coupled with recent census data showing pervasive poverty across much of the country, Americans are forced to make difficult decisions, like foregoing expensive healthcare. 

According to a recent Federal Reserve Bureau survey, 35% of adults say they were worse off in 2022 than 2021, which is the highest share ever recorded since the question was raised in 2014. 

Additionally, half of adults reported their budget was majorly affected by rising prices across the country, and that number is even higher among minority communities and parents living with their children.

According to recent census data, more than 10% of the counties in the U.S. are experiencing persistent poverty, meaning the area has had a poverty rate of 20% or higher between 1989 and 2019. 

16 states report at least 10% of their population living in persistent poverty. But most of the suffering counties were found in the South — which accounts for over half the people living in persistent poverty, despite making up less than 40% of the population. 

These financial realities have placed many Americans in the unfortunate situation of choosing between medical treatment and survival. The Federal Reserve study found that the share of Americans who skipped medical treatment because of the cost has drastically increased since 2020. 

The reflection of this can be found in the overall health of households in different income brackets. 75% of households with an income of $25,000 or less report being in good health – compared to the 91% of households with $100,000 or more income. 

See what others are saying: (Axios) (The Hill) (Federal Reserve)

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Montana Governor Signs TikTok Ban

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2 weeks ago

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May 18, 2023

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The ban will likely face legal challenges before it is officially enacted next year. 

First Statewide Ban of TikTok

Montana became the first state to ban TikTok on Wednesday after Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) signed legislation aimed at protecting “Montanans’ personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party.”

The ban will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, though the law will likely face a handful of legal challenges before that date. 

Under the law, citizens of the state will not be held liable for using the app, but companies that offer the app on their platforms, like Apple and Google, will face a $10,000 fine per day of violations. TikTok would also be subject to the hefty daily fine. 

Questions remain about how tech companies will practically enforce this law. During a hearing earlier this year, a representative from TechNet said that these platforms don’t have the ability to “geofence” apps by state.

Roger Entner, an analyst at Recon Analytics, told the Associated Press that app stores could have the capability to enforce the restriction, but it would be difficult to carry out and there would be a variety of loopholes by tools like VPNs.

Montana’s law comes as U.S. politicians have taken aim at TikTok over its alleged ties to the CCP. Earlier this year, the White House directed federal agencies to remove TikTok from government devices. Conservatives, in particular, have been increasingly working to restrict the app.

“The Chinese Communist Party using TikTok to spy on Americans, violate their privacy, and collect their personal, private, and sensitive information is well-documented,” Gov. Gianforte said in a Wednesday statement. 

Criticism of Montana Law

TikTok, however, has repeatedly denied that it gives user data to the government. The company released a statement claiming Montana’s law “infringes on the First Amendment rights of the people” in the state. 

“We want to reassure Montanans that they can continue using TikTok to express themselves, earn a living, and find community as we continue working to defend the rights of our users inside and outside of Montana,” the company said. 

The American Civil Liberties Union condemned Montana’s law for similar reasons. 

“This law tramples on our free speech rights under the guise of national security and lays the groundwork for excessive government control over the internet,” the ACLU tweeted. “Elected officials do not have the right to selectively censor entire social media apps based on their country of origin.”

Per the AP, there are 200,000 TikTok users in Montana, and another 6,000 businesses use the platform as well. Lawsuits are expected to be filed against the law in the near future.

See what others are saying: (Associated Press) (Fast Company) (CBS News)

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How a Disney-Loving Former Youth Pastor Landed on The FBI’s “Most Wanted” List

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1 month ago

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April 24, 2023

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 “Do what is best, not for yourself, for once. Think about everyone else,” Chris Burns’ 19-year-old son pleaded to his father via The Daily Beast. 

Multi-Million Dollar Scheme 

Former youth pastor turned financial advisor Chris Burns remains at large since going on the run in September of 2020 to avoid a Securities Exchange Commission investigation into his businesses.

Despite his fugitive status, the Justice Department recently indicted Burns with several more charges on top of the $12 million default judgment he received from the SEC. 

Burns allegedly sold false promissory notes to investors across Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida. The SEC claims he told the investors they were participating in a “peer to peer” lending program where businesses that needed capital would borrow money and then repay it with interest as high as 20%. Burns allegedly also reassured investors that the businesses had collateral so the investment was low-risk. 

The SEC says that Burns instead took that money for personal use. 

Burns’ History 

Burns began his adult life as a youth pastor back in 2007 before transitioning into financial planning a few years later.  By 2017, he launched his own radio show, The Chris Burns Show, which was funded by one of his companies, Dynamic Money – where every week Burns would “unpack how this week’s headlines practically impact your life, wallet, and future,” according to the description. He also frequently appeared on television and online, talking about finances and politics. 

The SEC alleges that he used his public appearances to elevate his status as a financial advisor and maximize his reach to investors.

His family told The Daily Beast that he became obsessed with success and he reportedly bought hand-made clothes, a million-dollar lakehouse, a boat, several cars, and took his family on several trips to Disney World. His eldest son and wife said that Burns was paying thousands of dollars a day for VIP tours and once paid for the neighbors to come along. 

Then in September 2020, he reportedly told his wife that he was being investigated by the Securities Exchange Commission but he told her not to worry. 

The day that he was supposed to turn over his business documents to the SEC, he disappeared, telling his wife he was just going to take a trip to North Carolina to tell his parents about the investigation. Then, the car was found abandoned in a parking lot with several cashier’s checks totaling $78,000

FBI’s Most Wanted

The default judgment in the SEC complaint orders Burns, if he’s ever found, to pay $12 million to his victims, as well as over $650,000 in a civil penalty. Additionally, a federal criminal complaint charged him with mail fraud. Burns is currently on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. 

Last week, the Justice Department indicted him on several other charges including 10 counts of wire fraud and two counts of mail fraud. 

“Burns is charged for allegedly stealing millions of dollars from clients in an illegal investment fraud scheme,” Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, said in a statement to The Daily Beast. “Financial crimes of this nature can cause significant disruptions to the lives of those who are victimized, and the FBI is dedicated to holding these criminals accountable.”

His family maintains that they knew nothing of Burns’ schemes. His wife reportedly returned over $300,000 that he had given to her. 

She and their eldest son, who is now 19, told The Daily Beast they just want Burns to turn himself in, take responsibility for his actions, and try to help the people he hurt. 

“Do what is best, not for yourself, for once. Think about everyone else,” Burns’ son said in a message to his father via The Daily Beast. 

See what others are saying: (The Daily Beast) (Fox 5) (Wealth Management)

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