In a Facebook post, Kim St. Onge admitted that she was let go over the vaccine mandate, but the situation is not quite as simple as refusing the jab. St. Onge worked for KMOV News in St. Louis as a general assignment reporter, and the station told its employees they must get their first shot of the vaccine by August 20; anyone who failed to do so would need to take vacation days until they either got the shot or an exemption.
St. Onge applied for a religious exemption with help from her pastor a day or two after the deadline, using vacation days while they made their mind up. She told radio host Marc Cox: "It's very much an 'us vs. them' and you know I did feel very alone, I felt isolated, I felt judged with my convictions.” Her exemption was ultimately granted, but the requirements KMOV imposed on her were completely unreasonable.
According to St. Onge, she would need to wear an N95 mask at all times and undergo twice-weekly COVID-19 tests, submitting time-stamped pictures to prove her negative results as part of the rules set by station owner Meredith Corporation.
Although this is not that unusual these days, she put her foot down when she heard the final requirement: she would not be allowed to attend meetings in the office. Instead, she would have to be on site but attend virtually from another room.
The company fired her when she balked at this final requirement, which she said felt discriminatory.
In a Facebook post explaining why she is no longer with the station, she wrote: “#3 is where I really drew the line and proves this is not just about health.
“So, I’m testing TWICE weekly and wearing an N95 mask, but can’t sit in the same room as my vaccinated colleagues who we now know can not only get Covid, but still pass it to others?”
This is just one of a staggering number of examples where COVID-19 vaccine mandates and protocols completely defy logic. If they are so concerned about spreading the virus at meetings, shouldn't they require that everyone who attends wears an N95 mask and presents negative test results, or make attendance virtual for everyone?
St. Onge rejected a non-disclosure agreement so she could talk about her experience
St. Onge, who has been a reporter for almost 10 years, said she turned down “a non-disclosure agreement worth several thousand dollars” because she believed that her story was an important one to share with others, although she did take some time or process what had happened before speaking out. She said that while she understands that some people may disagree with her decision, she wants people to know what is happening.
“But, this is too big to stay quiet. Our freedoms are being stripped away… freedoms our parents, grandparents, and so many others fought for,” she wrote on Facebook.
St. Onge said that her faith in God has helped her through the ordeal and that she wants to set a good example for her future children by standing up for her beliefs and morals, even if it costs her her job. She said that although some people have posted negative comments, the response to her has been “overwhelmingly supportive” and that she has heard from many people across the nation who are dealing with similar situations.
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