The LSU Board of Supervisors voted 4-3 Friday on a resolution urging the Louisiana Department of Health to add the approved COVID-19 vaccines to its schedule of required immunizations to attend Louisiana public schools, upon full approval by the FDA.
The resolution stemmed from LSU’s Faculty Council ongoing campaign to have the university mandate the COVID-19 vaccine before the Fall 2021 semester. Music theory professor Inessa Bazayev, political science professor Daniel Tirone and history professor Meredith Veldman spoke to the supervisors at the board meeting at LSU of Alexandria.
“It would have been better to have a 100% unanimous vote,” Veldman said. “The fact that it passed, yes we are very pleased.”
The Board of Supervisors smoothly passed all other matters in the meeting, except for the resolution. The vote narrowly passed after much heated discussion. Supervisor Jay Blossman, of Mandeville, said he was hesitant to require students to get vaccinated.
“I’m moving on with my life,” Blossman said. “If you’re worried about the COVID, get the shot. If you’re not worried about the COVID, don’t get the shot.”
The board discussed the resolution’s legal ramifications, led by Vice President for Legal Affairs Winston DeCuir, Jr., in the wake of Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry’s statement deeming illegal a mandatory coronavirus vaccine. Landry said he would likely sue the board if they decide to mandate COVID vaccinations.
DeCuir noted the Louisiana House of Representatives recently passed House Bill 498, which prohibits discrimination based on immunization status and House Resolution 20, which requires all educational institutions to inform constituents of their right to opt-out of any vaccines.
“What’s important to note is that it [HB 498] hasn’t been signed by the governor yet,” Tirone said. “So there’s still an opportunity for the governor’s veto.”
House Bill 498 had a clause in which it is only applicable while the COVID-19 vaccine remains under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). The bill would essentially become obsolete when the FDA gives the COVID-19 vaccine its full authorization, Tirone said. He said the process for full authorization should take about 3-6 months.
The Board’s debate on the matter focused on the opt-out clause of the resolution. Louisiana already has required immunizations for various diseases, such as hepatitis, meningitis and diphtheria. People are allowed to opt-out of required immunizations for religious, medical or even philosophical reasons, said President Tom Galligan.
“Encourage students to get the shot,” Blossman said. “But I’m not going to tell them to get the shot to come to LSU.”
DeCuir said people are able to pick and choose which vaccines to opt out of. He said it’s not a law where someone either opts out of all of them or none of them. The board discussed explicitly communicating the opt-out clause, which convinced several board members to reconsider. A second vote tallied 9-2, with many board members still not voting.
“I can support the resolution as long as people know they can opt out,” Supervisor Lee Mallett said.
Chemical engineering junior Joseph Dupre, of Iota, Louisiana, and one of the only LSU students that attended the meeting, said he disagreed with the board’s decision.
“Some of the board and faculty members seemed overly enthusiastic to try and get the vaccine on the LDH’s list, so then they can finally force whoever they want to get vaccinated,” Dupre said. “It really shows how disconnected they are from the real student body of LSU.”
Galligan said the board plans on enacting an incentive campaign Wednesday. They planned on launching it earlier, but Gov. John Bel Edwards’ incentive campaign started Monday.
Veldman said in her opening statement at the meeting that time is running out, especially with the Delta variant becoming more prevalent in the state, as it accounts for 12% of the current cases in Louisiana. She also said the Delta variant is more lethal, more transmissible and more effective against partial vaccines. The vaccines become fully effective in six weeks. The fall semester starts in eight.
“It is time to be transparently clear and let students, parents and taxpayers know if COVID vaccination rates among students do not rise dramatically in the next few weeks, students and faculty safety will demand that classroom capacity be capped at 50%,” Veldman said.
Bazayev said she was concerned because the vaccination rate among LSU students is 26% right now (73% of the faculty and 56% of the staff have been vaccinated, Galligan said). Bazayev said having in-person classes at this rate will be a “superspreader” of the virus, and LSU should follow the lead of over 500 other universities and mandate the vaccine.
She also said around 100 public universities have required the vaccine, highlighting Indiana University as one of them. No states in the deep south have allowed public universities to require the shots yet.
“I urge the Board of Supervisors to put politics aside,” Bazayev said. “This is a serious public health crisis and your decision will have consequences on not only our university, but the safety of our state.”
Bazayev has been one of the leaders of the Faculty Council’s cause because of her concerns in the music department. She said masks and social distancing is not possible for singers, brass instrument players and other music students.
The board also approved Dr. Ghali E. Ghali’s resignation as chancellor of the LSU Health Shreveport (LHS), with little discussion. Several LSU Shreveport employees have filed federal complaints, saying that Ghali suppressed sexual harassment allegations that involved students and retaliated against faculty members who spoke out about the issues. LHS human resources had reinstated Ghali to his position, but he resigned a day later. Ghali will return to the faculty and be paid the remainder of his contract, which expires in December.
This board meeting was also Galligan’s last meeting as president. His journey as president started and ended in Alexandria. The Board formally accepted William Tate IV’s contract as LSU’s new president after the COVID debate. Galligan received a standing ovation for his tenure as president.
“There’s no one more excited for him to be president than me,” Galligan said.
Tate has a five-year contract beginning July 6. He’ll receive a $725,000 yearly salary, plus an annual $35,000 housing allowance and an annual $15,000 vehicle allowance.
Galligan will return to the Paul M. Hebert Law Center and retain the title of President Emeritus.
