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In April 2022, attorney and former GOP nominee for Attorney
General Thomas DeVore filed a lawsuit against IDOC attempting to
block Gov. J.B. Pritzker's executive order requiring all DOC
workers to be vaccinated.
DeVore said he was recently made aware the department removed
its requirement for the vaccine. However, DeVore said this would
not stop his lawsuit.
"Right now, in front of the 5th appellate district, we still
have a case pending on behalf of my department of correction
employees," DeVore told WMAY. "We are not going anywhere."
DeVore claims the change in protocol comes from IDOC struggling
to find workers.
"As of Jan. 10, the vaccine and testing requirement for all DOC
employees is gone because their union is trying to patronize
them, so they don't keep losing membership," Devore said.
Those employees with the DOC who are not vaccinated will still
be required to test for the virus once a week, according to an
department email DeVore shared.
According to Devore, the mandate went into effect in 2021 and
many workers have already been terminated after refusing to get
the vaccine.
"Yeah, there were people fired," Devore said. "I heard from my
friends that are pretty high up in the organization, and they
are starting to call many of them back and have been sending the
correspondence saying, 'OK, we are going to reinstate you, be
here on Monday.'"
IDOC couldn't be immediately reached for comment but has
refrained from commenting on pending litigation in the past.
Andrew Hensel reports on issues in Chicago and
Statewide. He has been with The Center Square News since April
of 2021 and was previously with The Joliet Slammers.
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