Chicago Teachers Union leader Sarah Chamber is coming under fire after she reportedly told teachers not to return to work Monday for safety reasons but then later was shown vacationing in the Caribbean.
Chambers told special education teachers not to return back to work Monday due to safety reasons, while the Chicago Teachers Union has threatened to strike if the district continues to open school buildings, according to WGNTV.
Hours before telling teachers to boycott their return, however, Chambers posted a picture to Instagram that appeared to show her sitting poolside in Puerto Rico and talking about going to Old San Juan for seafood, according to the report.
On Twitter, a Chicago Teachers Union leader rallied teachers to refuse to go back to the classroom to ‘stay safe.’
On Instagram, on the same day, she posted pictures poolside in Puerto Rico. https://t.co/eiC4CqH1k2 @WGNNews
— Ben Bradley (@BenBradleyTV) January 1, 2021
Her Instagram post reportedly also noted that she had previously had COVID-19 but had since tested negative. Chambers consulted with her doctor before traveling, according to WGNTV. (RELATED: Hospital Employee Arrested After Intentionally Destroying Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccine)
Approximately 7,000 teachers and staff are supposed to return to school Monday but the district has been denied accommodations or leave to many of them, including those who have applied noting that they have a household member that is vulnerable to COVID-19, according to The Chicago Tribune.
Chicago Public Schools spokeswoman Emily Bolton said the district will give weekly COVID-19 tests for those who live in a household with someone who is high risk.
The union’s counsel Thad Goodchild said that teachers are being forced to choose between their job and health, according to the report.