DENVER (KDVR) — A Denver Sheriff’s deputy who was granted a vaccine exemption was fired after ignoring the city requirements to maintain his exemption.
Deputy Eugen Papaianopol was terminated Jan. 21 according to a discipline letter obtained by the Problem Solvers through a public records request.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock originally mandated all city employees to be vaccinated by Sept. 30 unless an employee applied for and received a vaccine exemption.
According to Papaianopol’s discipline letter, he was granted an exemption but exemptions require “mandatory testing every five days and masking at all times with limited exceptions such as while eating or drinking.”
As part of the testing, Papaianopol was required to get a PCR COVID-19 test every five calendar days and upload the results into his work computer that could be confirmed by human resources.
But Papaianopol never submitted tests for 10 testing periods between Oct. 6, 2021 and Nov. 20, 2021. As a result, he received a 10-day suspension that he served from Dec. 5 through Dec. 15, 2021.
Before Papaianopol could serve his entire suspension, he again failed to upload test results for four more testing dates between Nov. 25, 2021 and Dec. 10, 2021.
In total, he missed 14 testing dates, declined to show up for his disciplinary hearing and refused to sign his termination letter.