ST. LOUIS — Two former St. Louis Public Schools staff members have been awarded $180,000 in a federal lawsuit against district leaders for suspending or firing them for not getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

The St. Louis Board of Education adopted a vaccine mandate in the fall of 2021 for all SLPS staff unless they had a medical or religious exemption. The lawsuit was filed by 43 employees who claimed they were denied vaccine exemptions and placed on unpaid leave or fired.

Most of the employees were allowed to return to their jobs in 2022 without receiving the vaccine. The group, which includes teachers, substitutes, aides, safety officers and other support staff sued for three months of back pay along with other damages. The lawsuit also asked the court to find the SLPS vaccine mandate unconstitutional.

A federal judge last month ruled in favor of special education teacher Lisa Scails-Dansberry and behavior specialist Rochelle Page and awarded them $90,000 each.

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The lead attorney for the employees, Kevin Kasper of Kasper Law Firm in St. Charles, did not respond Thursday to a request for comment. A spokesman for SLPS also did not respond.

Page made close to $36,000 with SLPS in 2021, state records show, and is no longer listed as an SLPS employee. Dansberry, who now works for the Special School District of St. Louis County, made $68,550 in 2023.

Two other SLPS employees, P.E. teacher Wendy Huddleston and transportation manager Jamell Wren, reached settlements with the district last month for undisclosed amounts.

In July, four current and former teachers and teachers’ aides who brought claims in the lawsuit were awarded $25,000 each: Angel Scott, Sadia McDaniel, Donetta Dampier and Jean Slaven.

The other 35 plaintiffs are headed to a jury trial if mediation talks break down, court records show.

While other local school districts and public agencies including the city of St. Louis imposed vaccine requirements, most allowed unvaccinated employees to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing. The SLPS policy only allowed testing for unvaccinated employees who were granted medical or religious exemptions.

About 96% of the district’s 3,400 staff members received the vaccine by the October 2021 deadline, district officials said at the time.

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