MINEOLA, N.Y. — A former Long Island high school teacher accused of injecting a teen with a COVID-19 vaccine at her home without his parents’ knowledge pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and was sentenced to community service and probation, avoiding a felony charge that could have sent her to prison.
Laura Parker Russo, 55, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of attempting the unauthorized practice of medicine when she appeared in a courtroom in Mineola, New York, on Friday. She also pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct.
Russo was arrested at the beginning of January, and authorities accused her of giving the 17-year-old, the son of someone she knew, a vaccine dose. Newsday reported that Russo later testified in a hearing over her job that she got the dose when a pharmacist gave her expiring doses after she asked for an empty vial to use as a Christmas ornament.
Authorities said the teen later told his parents, who called police. Prosecutors had initially charged her with the unauthorized practice of profession, a felony with a penalty of up to four years in prison.
First, the sentence is too light. I’m okay with the plea to the lesser charge, but she still should spend time behind bars. This hubris where teachers take it upon themselves to make life-altering decisions about kids without the kids’ parents’ knowledge is reprehensible. It must be deterred.
Second, this applies to kids who are dealing with mental disorders, physical medical issues, depression, gender dysphoria, or anything else. Teachers and other hired professionals must never exclude parents from decisions about their children.
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