Witness Testimony

Oliver Kennedy testified that after nearly 20 years working as a recreational therapist in a healthcare setting, he was suspended in December 2021 and later terminated in early 2022 for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. He stated that his hesitancy stemmed from concerns about the speed of vaccine development and lack of accessible data to support informed consent. He described workplace hostility, including comments from coworkers blaming the unvaccinated for the pandemic and an incident in which his supervisor publicly shouted at him to get vaccinated despite previously assuring staff there would be no coercion.
Following his termination for “willful misconduct,” Kennedy testified that he applied for employment insurance but was denied benefits on the basis that his refusal to vaccinate limited his employability. He appealed multiple times and was awaiting a tribunal decision at the time of testimony. He also described contracting and recovering from COVID-19 during his suspension and requesting a medical note acknowledging natural immunity, which he said his doctor declined to provide due to fear of professional repercussions.
Kennedy further testified that his decision not to vaccinate led to severe social consequences, including estrangement from friends and temporary family division. He described losing surrogate matches during efforts to start a family because of his vaccination status and characterized public messaging as divisive. He concluded that government responses lacked coordination, suppressed alternative viewpoints, and caused significant personal and societal harm.