Turning Point USA

The COVID memo released by the National Football League prior to the preseason about restrictions for the unvaccinated players sparked a lot of debate. Still, at the very least, NFL players and coaches are happy to have the option to take the COVID-19 vaccine or not. In emails acquired by Turning Point USA, some NFL Cheerleaders don’t have that option. They are being forced to get the jab or lose their jobs. No exceptions…

Apparently, getting the vaccine is now “essential” to complete the functions of your job as an NFL cheerleader. Years of dance experience can take a back seat.

Because of this, a 3-year veteran of the New Orleans Saints cheerleading team, The Sainsations, Rachel Jung, is now out of a job. She explained that the organization originally called a meeting before final auditions for the upcoming 2021-2022 NFL season to inform everyone that getting vaccinated would be a non-negotiable condition for their employment.

If you’ve been following the COVID response from the league and its teams, you would figure that this decision would most likely coincide with the new mandate announced by New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell last Thursday, August 12th, that fans attending New Orleans Saints home games this season will be required to show either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test from the previous 72 hours. Still, final auditions for Saintsations were held over a month prior.

So why can fans fill the Caesars Superdome while providing a negative COVID test, and players can compete with proof of a negative test, but cheerleaders have no such option?

Of course, the Saints don’t have an answer. Just like they didn’t have an answer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense in last year’s divisional playoff…

As you can see in the email (above), Saintsations members were forced to sign a document acknowledging vaccination.

Jonathan Koeppel, a Turning Point USA Chapter President, and Rachel’s brother explained, “At first, many people strongly opposed getting vaccinated – but the coaches and other staff members kept harassing the team members about it in order to coerce them into doing something that was outside of their own will.”

This sounds eerily similar to what Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley mentioned in his press conference on the first day of training camp in late July regarding the pressure put on players to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, “The issue at hand is that information is being withheld from players in order for a player to be swayed in a direction he may not be comfortable with… It’s all about the young players that don’t have a voice and are reaching out to me every day because they’re being told if they don’t get vaxxed, they’ll be cut.”

Young NFL players who have little to no influence in decision making are losing opportunities because they don’t trust an experimental vaccine, and now veteran NFL cheerleaders are losing jobs because they won’t cower and give in to the almost insurmountable pressure put on them by people in power in the New Orleans Saints organization and others.

Koeppel goes on to explain, “This was a form of extortion that caused many people that made the [Saintsations] for the upcoming seasons decide to receive the experimental vaccine.”

Like I mentioned earlier, the email clearly stated that there would be “no exceptions.” It was get the vaccine or lose your job. That’s it.

Like many college students you read about on the TPUSA Live Feed pushing back on their university’s vaccine mandates, Jung was not granted any religious or personal exemptions regarding getting the vaccine either.

“Her reasoning for not getting [vaccinated] is very simple,” Koeppel states, “She has never had a flu vaccine, doesn’t ever get sick, is concerned about the unknown long-term effects of the experimental trial vaccine, and has personal religious reasons for not wanting to get it. There have been other members of the team that have expressed similar views and concerns but decided to get the vaccine so they wouldn’t lose their jobs.”

Jung could have given in. She could have allowed the Saints organization to dictate what to do with her body. Still, she stood her ground and decided it was her body and her choice, despite inevitably losing out on an opportunity to do what she loved and is clearly talented at. You don’t make an NFL cheerleading team 3 years in a row if you aren’t clearly the best of the best.

This has little to do with “health and safety.” This is about leagues and teams working with their respective city governments to dangle the carrot of “returning to normal” if you comply with their mandates. But of course, they want their stadiums to be full at the same time. They want and need to make money. This is a business, after all. A shady business that is pushing talented, capable, and valuable members of their organization like Rachel Jung out.

Here is Jung’s heartfelt and honest statement about the whole situation:

“After being selected as a member of the 2021-2022 Saintsations, I made the difficult decision to hang my uniforms up and step away. This was not an easy decision by any means…. but due to certain requirements and changes and not feeling comfortable to compromise how I felt, it was time. I have had the MOST amazing time being a part of this incredible team and wish nothing but the absolute best for them this season! Thank you to all my teammates for all of the great memories, laughter, and tears we shared! Nothing will ever replace that electrifying, heart-pounding feeling of cheering in the dome.

Once a Saintsation, always a Saintsation!”

Cheers to you, Rachel Jung. While many are unfortunately forced to choose between getting the vaccine or losing their job, you have exposed the hypocrisy of the NFL and teams like the Saints. No one should have to make this decision, but if they do, I hope they’re as strong and fearless as you.