ESPN's Allison Williams skipping college football season over company's COVID vaccine mandate
Allison Williams said she was advised not to get the COVID vaccine while trying to get pregnant
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ESPN college football reporter Allison Williams said Thursday she will not be on the sidelines for games this season as she has decided not to take the coronavirus vaccine while she and her husband try for a second child.
Williams wrote in a tweet her "heart hurts" for having to skip the college football season.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"While my work is incredibly important to me, the most important role I have is as a mother. Throughout our family planning with our doctor, as well as a fertility specialist, I have decided not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at this time while my husband and I try for a second child," she said in a statement.
"This was a deeply difficult decision to make and it’s not something I take lightly. I understand vaccines have been essential to the effort to end this pandemic; however, taking the vaccine at this time is not in my best interest. After a lot of prayer and deliberation, I have decided I must put my family and personal health first. I will miss being on the sidelines and am thankful for the support of my ESPN family. I look forward to when I can return to the games and job that I love."
Disney, which is the parent company of ESPN, said in August it would be requiring the vaccine and the mandate includes those who work for the sports entertainment company outlet, according to the Bristol Press.
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"At the Walt Disney Co., the safety and well-being of our employees during the pandemic has been and continues to be a top priority," ESPN said in a statement, via the newspaper.
"Based on the latest recommendations of scientists, health officials and our own medical professionals that the COVID-19 vaccine provides the best protection against severe infection, we are requiring that all salaried and non-union hourly employees in the U.S. working at any of our sites be fully vaccinated."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ESPN spokesperson Mike Soltys confirmed the mandate to the Bristol Press at the time.
Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Maurice Ffrench (2) smiles with Allison Williams after the game against the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Ford Field. (Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports)
Awful Announcing was the first to report Williams was stepping away from sideline reporting. Williams said in a podcast interview before the first week of the college football season that she wouldn’t be on the sidelines, saying "here are some things that are precluding me from being out there and I’m going to leave it at that."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Williams joined ESPN in March 2011. She previously worked for Fox Sports Florida covering the Florida Marlins and Florida Panthers.