College denies expelling vaccine victim

Union College in New York last week reportedly denied expelling sophomore Diamone Ellie Puentes for not getting the COVID-19 booster shot even after her doctor advised against it. 

When the college ordered Puentes last year to get vaccinated, Fuentes applied for a religious exemption, reported The Chicago Thinker. When she was denied that exemption, she got injected with the first shot of the Pfizer vaccine in August so she would be allowed to stay in school. 

Puentes felt fine and, in September, got the second injection. 

Then she began experiencing side effects such as a sore throat, abdominal pain and vomiting, and was diagnosed with gastritis. To date, Puentes still experiences vomiting and diarrhea. 

When Union College then demanded in January that all students get the booster shot, Puentes requested a medical exemption and sent proof of her gastritis diagnosis to Director of Health Services Angela Stefanatos, who denied the exemption. 

Puentes went to her doctor, who advised her not to get the booster shot. Dr. Thomas Nelson wrote a letter to the college asking that Puentes be granted a medical exemption. 

“It is my opinion that Ms. Puentes be granted an exception from receiving the booster COVID vaccine,” Dr. Nelson wrote in the letter. “She currently is in an unfavorable state of health, presumably caused by the vaccine itself and getting this vaccine is ill-advised.” 

But Stefanatos again denied Puentes a medical exemption from the booster, saying that “the vaccine is not associated with gastritis” and that there “is no evidence in the literature that vaccination for [COVID] weakens the immune system.” 

Both points are known to be untrue, with vaccine AIDS (VAIDS) remaining a critical threat to the immune system, and gastritis being a reported side effect of Pfizer’s vaccine.

Puentes continued to experience vomiting, diarrhea and shortness of breath for consecutive periods. When she visited the school’s Wellness Center, Stefanatos became confrontational. 

“Are you here because you don’t want to get the booster or because you’re truly sick?” Stefanatos challenged. 

Stefanatos told Puentes that the decision was “final”. Within 72 hours, her food card was de-activated and she was un-enrolled. 

Puentes was sitting in class when she received the email from the school. 

“The Office of Residential Life received notice that you are being withdrawn for the Spring 2022 term due to non-compliance with booster protocol,” the message said, then giving instructions on how to return her dorm room key. She was given 72 hours to pack her belongings and leave campus. 

In response to backlash, Union College simply said it never happened. 

Chicago Thinker Managing Editor Evita Duffy reports that according to Union College, Puentes “wasn’t expelled, but rather just can’t come to campus until she gets the booster,” despite a message from Union College saying that Puentes was being “withdrawn for the Spring 2022 term.” 

“We can state emphatically that no students have been expelled for refusing to get a booster shot,” said a Union College spokesman. 

“Union College unenrolled Ellie and removed her from campus housing. Pretty sure that’s the definition of expelled, @UnionCollege,” tweeted Duffy.