Shefflorn and Ann-Marie Ballantyne, two teachers who were dismissed under the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ COVID-19 vaccine mandate of 2021, have written a book to chronicle the Vincentian chapter of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The husband and wife have pledged never to let Vincentians forget “the evil that was done to workers four years ago on Nov. 19 through an SR&O implemented under the Ralph Gonsalves-led Unity Labour Party (ULP) administration”.
The book, “I Do Not Consent”, traces the history of the mandate and its devastating effects on the lives and livelihoods of workers.
In the pre-dawn hours of Aug. 6, 2021, government lawmakers approved amendments to the Public Health Act, paving the way for “a wicked, draconian mandate”.
“Through this book, we are ensuring that the actions of the ULP politicians are recorded in the annals of Vincentian history as the worst SVG government in living memory because of their anti-conscience law and behaviour towards workers and their families in this country,” the couple said in a press release.
Among other important features, the 14-chapter book highlights personal stories of vaccine-injured and, testimonies of public and private sector workers who were dismissed for refusing to take a COVID-19 injection, the stalwart contribution of the trade unions and lawyers in the case, the role of government, the sacredness of liberty of conscience and updates on COVID-19 vaccines and related issues from world renowned medical doctors.
In March 2023, High Court judge Esco Henry ruled in favour of the workers, stating that the government’s rules were “unlawful, unconstitutional, ultra vires, disproportionate and tainted by procedural impropriety”.
The government appealed the decision, and the Court of Appeal, in a 2-1 decision on Feb. 12, 2025, ruled in favour of the government.
The workers applied to the court for leave to take the matter to the Privy Council and were granted leave on Thursday.
“The duo’s intention is not only to recall recent Vincentian history of the government’s asinine mandate but to encourage Vincentians to cherish their liberty of conscience by rejecting attempts from any government to dominate conscience through mandating any substance. The teachers affirm that: ‘Liberty of conscience is a gift from God that no government or anyone should be allowed to violate’,” the press release said.
Shefflorn’s book writing journey began in 2016 when he published “Immortality, Death and the Hereafter”. Since then, he has published three books, including the controversial children’s book “No Dress for Timmy”, which was banned twice from Amazon before its restoration in 2024. Ann-Marie’s first book was “Vegan Delight”, a recipe book that was published in 2018 on Amazon.
“I Do Not Consent” is the first book the couple is co-authoring and was launched earlier on launched online, “to commemorate the Nov. 19 nightmare of 2021, when more than 500 government workers were forced out of their jobs.
The KINDLE version of the book became available for FREE download from Amazon earlier on Thursday.
A local face-to-face launch is planned for the upcoming year when hard copies of the book will be available to the public.
My brother and sister, Jesus will work it out 🙏