“No DNA is being collected for nefarious purposes.” – Mike Mulgrew, UFT Delegate Assembly, October 14, 2020
10-14-2020
Today, for the first time, United Federation of Teachers (UFT) President Michael Mulgrew addressed the DNA controversy surrounding in-school COVID testing. However it does not appear that he said anything substantive.
Sources who viewed the virtual delegate assembly today quoted Mulgrew as saying, “No DNA is being collected for nefarious purposes.”
New York Teachers For Choice (NYTFC) never said anything nefarious was happening. What we did say is that our question has remained unanswerd for over a month, and remains completely unaddressed:
Is Fulgent Genetics – the private Biotech company whose COVID test is being used in NYC schools right now – going to catalogue student and teacher DNA in their private library of genetic information?
Mulgrew didn’t address this question at all with his statement. If Fulgent does catalogue our DNA there will be nothing “nefarious” about it. The only reason they would catalogue our DNA samples is if New York (likely the Health Departments) did nothing contractually to protect our rights to our own DNA. By definition it wouldn’t be “wicked or criminal” to catalogue our DNA because the contracts they were party to would allow them to do so – it would be perfectly legal.
What would not be perfectly legal is the fact that teachers and parents are left in the dark about what will, and will not, happen to these DNA samples.
I want every teacher, parent and NYC resident following this blog to know the only reason Mulgrew made any comment about the DNA controversy is because of you and your efforts. He is responding to the hundreds – possibly thousands – of emails and calls he has received from all of you. I thank you all deeply for your efforts. Don’t back down now! More is coming.
If you haven’t already thanked Public Advocate Jumaane Williams for officially lodging our complaint within his office, please do that right now by going to the following link:
Teachers For Choice 