UC Irvine Fires Scholar for Refusing Vaccine

The University of California, Irvine, has fired a scholar for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The scholar was Aaron Kheriaty, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at the medical school and director of the medical ethics program at UCI Health, the Los Angeles Times reported. In August, he sued the University of California for not exempting him from a vaccine requirement because, he says, he has a “natural immunity” to COVID-19.

On his blog, he wrote, “Everyone at the university seemed to be a fan of my work until suddenly they were not. Once I challenged one of their policies I immediately became a ‘threat to the health and safety of the community.’ No amount of empirical evidence about natural immunity or vaccine safety and efficacy mattered at all.”

University officials declined to comment on the firing.