University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) student, Christian Walker, received a phone call from an unidentified senior demanding he upload his vaccination status or be expelled from college.
Walker, who happens to be a conservative influencer with 161.8 thousand followers on Twitter, recorded the conversation and shared it on his Twitter account.
“You are calling to tell me you will drop my classes after we’ve already paid $70,000 for the year if I don’t upload something about my vaccine status when all of my classes are online,” Walker is heard saying in his video. A UCLA official responded, “Correct.” “Got it.” responded Walker.
“All of my classes are online. I don’t step onto campus. I’ve already paid. We’re a week into classes. My university just called to tell me they are dropping my classes if I don’t report to them about my vaccination.” Walker commented on Twitter.
The tweet gained traction with some 23.4 K likes. So much attention was garnered that UCLA was quick to respond to Turning Point USA, a conservative news outlet that investigated the matter. “We have not yet dropped any student for lack of compliance with University of California vaccination policy,” UCLA spokesperson Bill Kisliuk said, according to the outlet. Kisliuk added that the school “would advise any student who has not done so to confirm their status as soon as possible.”
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Walker followed up on Twitter later that same day, informing his fans about a waiver he had to sign, purportedly in an attempt by UCLA to solve the matter benevolently.
“My school just made [me] put in writing the following statement, ‘I certify that I have been informed of the risks of COVID-19 infection including long-term disability and death both for myself and others whom I may expose the disease.’ LOL at the drama and fear-mongering.” Walker said.
‘Complete derangement’
The next day, Walker appeared on Fox’s The Ingraham Angle hosted by Laura Ingraham.
“Laura, it’s absolutely ridiculous. Yesterday, I received a call, as you heard, from the university,” Walker said, adding that “I then received a message from the health center telling me that I would be subject to financial and other consequences… such as being reported to the student conduct office for disciplinary action.”
When Ingraham asked whether Walker received a lot of support from his fellow students, he said, “They’re actually cheering this on. They scream at me online, cuss me out that I should just disclose my vaccination status even though I’m not even going onto the campus. They love the mandates, and even though most of them are vaccinated, they are also forced and encouraging everyone to wear a mask in class and while walking outside to different classes. It’s complete derangement.”
Walker’s story is not an isolated case. In September, a New Jersey student, Logan Hollar, was banned from Rutgers University. Hollar found out he was excluded from the university’s email system when he went to pay for his college tuition. He hadn’t updated his vaccination status even while he lived in Sussex County, 70 miles from the campus, and never intended to attend classes in person.
Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, said it would cut students’ internet access for those who fail to show proof of their vaccination status. Moreover, it fines unvaccinated students $100 a week or $2,275 for a whole semester.
Meanwhile, the University of Michigan and Cornell University have penalized students for failing mandatory coronavirus tests by deactivating their access cards to nonresidential buildings. The school also removed access to campus Wi-Fi, course materials, and facilities for non-compliant students.
