Gold Coast teenager Georgia Smith is alleging she was fired from her job at a pizza shop because of her decision to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Georgia had been working at Ned Kelly’s Pizza in Tweed Heads when she was declared a health risk after receiving her first Pfizer vaccination. According to Georgia, the supposed health risks related to “the spike proteins, if I came into direct contact with them, would spread and go into their bodies.”
Georgia says she was then told she would not be receiving any shifts. She said of the news, “It still is hard to deal with, I lost a good job, I lost the friends I had in there.”
Law firm Maurice Blackburn got wind of what happened and reached out to Georgia and her family. Now they’re lodging a complaint on Georgia’s behalf with the Australian Human Rights Commission, alleging that her bosses at Ned Kelly’s Pizza discriminated against her on the basis of disability.
As Giri Sivaraman from Maurice Blackburn explained, “The employer imputed a disability to her, they’ve said that because you’re vaccinated you’ve got a condition and you’re a risk to us because of the fact you’re shedding particles.”
Georgia’s former employers have denied the allegations in a statement posted on Facebook, saying she was fired because the store had been struggling financially, not because she had been vaccinated. The statement also details Georgia’s supposed shortcomings, which many people found unnecessary and cruel. One user commented, “Why are you putting down a 16 year old girl on Facebook??? Wow you really have no idea!!”
Despite their claim that the decision wasn’t vaccination related, 9 News reports that Georgia’s former boss has shared anti-vax material on social media during the pandemic.
In addition, since sharing her story publicly, Georgia has become the target of anti-vax trolls online. She told Nine, “I’ve stopped reading all the hateful messages, I don’t want to be reading those, it’s kind of hurtful.”
Mr Sivaraman argued that Georgia’s case has far-reaching implications for others experiencing discrimination on the basis of vaccination. “We think it’s really important to make accountable an employer that thinks it’s ok to sack someone for getting vaccinated,” he said.
Georgia’s mum Jody hopes their case can set an example for others whose employment has been threatened. “We just don’t want to see anyone else put in that position,” she said.
Image: 9News
