The St John ambulance service sacked a paramedic for refusing to get vaccinated during the Covid-19 pandemic – but then continued to use him in its campaigns and on its website.
Sunia Schaaf lost his job after failing to get jabbed against Covid-19 when the Government’s vaccine mandates came into effect in 2021.
Schaaf was a key face in St John’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign even though the organisation knew he opposed getting jabbed against the disease.
Once a poster boy for St John, Schaaf has appeared on billboards, TV and other media campaigns promoting the organisation’s annual fundraiser and recruitment.
Images and videos of Schaaf, who was a qualified Ambulance Emergency Medical Technician, were used throughout the pandemic and continued to be after he lost his job. An image of St John’s October Super Saturday vaccine campaign featuring Schaaf’s face was still in circulation too.
"I feel used and betrayed," Schaaf said. "I don’t get told what my face gets used for but morally it's wrong to use my face when I don't actually support it – especially because I lost my job.
"I feel like they used it because it ticks the box for diversity."
At the time Schaaf lost his job, he had six years’ experience and he says he was the only Tongan-speaking ambulance officer working on the frontline.
"So that played a huge part in a lot of callouts and interactions we had with Tongans because of the language barrier, but also with other Polynesians and Māori – it helped break down a lot of fear because they would be so happy and welcoming when they saw me."
Schaaf says he’s not anti-vaccination.
“Initially I told [St John] that I just needed more time to be able to make an informed decision," he said.
"I’ve had all my other immunisation jabs growing up so I’m not against vaccinations, but this was about just making sure that what I was putting into my body, I was happy with. Otherwise it was no one’s liability but myself."
Recruitment campaigns – but re-application denied
When Covid-19 vaccine mandates ended and Schaaf reapplied for his role in October 2022, his application was declined.
But a video campaign which featured his background story continued to be used by the organisation as part of their recruitment campaign on its website months afterwards.
The video and a separate image of Schaaf was finally removed from St John’s website two weeks ago after he appeared in an interview with conspiracy theorist Liz Gunn.
Schaaf said he took part in several protests, including the Parliament protests in February last year, which he attended for 19 days.
"My goal was to try and find people who were in the same situation because I had gone through a bit of depression and I felt so alone.
"I went to Wellington and helped give medical aid to some of the protesters that got injured there. I saw other former frontline workers protesting with us and to be honest, it was like a sense of belonging for me."
Schaaf said he accepted that his refusal to get vaccinated against Covid-19 meant he would lose his job but felt the organisation acted unfairly in declining his application to be re-employed.
He says he had a clean employment record with St John and had never received any complaints or warnings about his conduct as an employee.
Images and videos of Sunia Schaaf were used throughout the pandemic and continued to be after he lost his job. (Source: Sunday)
Prior to losing his job in 2021 he was asked by the organisation to accept an award on its behalf when it was voted New Zealand’s most trusted charity in the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands survey.
"I actually got pulled off the road for an hour or two and asked to go and accept the award and then I was back on the road again to finish my shift," Schaaf said.
"I loved every aspect of the job. I loved the people. I felt like it was my calling.
"It was a career that I worked very hard for. I came from nothing and I made something out of myself.
"I served through most of the pandemic before it started easing off and we got mandated. Everyone was locked in their houses or hiding away and I was out there on the frontline in person dealing with it. But I loved my job."
Around the time his application to re-join St John was declined, the organisation sent him a service badge in the mail as an acknowledgement for his service during the Covid-19 response.
"Seeing it really affected me because it was like they were saying 'thank you' for my service – I worked so hard for everyone and my organisation – and I applied but I didn’t get my job back," Schaaf said.
"I felt really offended and heartbroken. To be honest I feel discriminated against."
Not currently authorised to work
In an email thread seen by 1News, Schaaf asked St John why his application was declined and was told that he did not hold a current "authority to practice as an Emergency Medical Technician".
It was a qualification he previously held but which had lapsed since his employment was terminated. When Schaaf asked how he could re-obtain the qualification, a manager replied: "You would need to be employed by St John. We will not be progressing with your application for a frontline position at this time."
A recruitment adviser sent Schaaf the organisation’s clinical course prospectus for him to "view and get a better understanding". Schaaf’s face is on the cover of that prospectus.
After multiple queries, he was told again by the recruitment adviser in February this year that St John "would not be progressing" with his application.
Referring to the legislation which governed the Covid-19 vaccination mandates during the pandemic, a recruitment adviser said in an email: "Hato Hone St John are not legally obligated to re-engage with staff who were terminated as a result of the Health Order, either into their old role or a similar role."
St John’s general manager of ambulance operations Stuart Cockburn confirmed that Schaaf had applied to rejoin the organisation. He said in a statement: "At the time, there were a range of matters that were taken into consideration… which included, but were not limited to, reintegration into clinical practice."
Cockburn said the organisation is now inviting Schaaf to re-apply for a role in the ambulance service.
"St John would be happy to consider re-establishing employment provided both parties can work through any outstanding matters and can mutually agree on a positive working relationship moving forward," he said.
"When Mr Schaaf left Hato Hone St John, we endeavoured to remove his image from all known campaigns, as per usual practice when someone leaves the organisation.
"However, being a large organisation with widespread marketing materials, some were overlooked in the initial audit. As images have been brought to our attention, we have acted promptly to remove them. We did not deliberately continue to use his face on any fresh new campaigns."
A video of Schaaf’s experience as an employee, used in St John’s recruitment campaigns, remains on the organisation’s public vimeo account online.
Cockburn said he couldn't "conclusively verify the number of its Tongan-speaking ambulance officers, as some may choose not to disclose" but there were several ambulance officers who identified as Tongan currently and when Schaaf was employed.
He said a total of 26 full-time employees within St John ambulance service “discontinued their service” when the Covid-19 vaccine mandates came into effect. Seven of those ambulance officers have since regained full-time employment.
"The organisation continues to welcome applications from other former employees and volunteers who wish to rejoin," Cockburn said.
Lawyer Matthew Hague won two cases in the High Court challenging vaccine mandates. He says St John should “do the right thing and re-employ Sunia.”
“The invitation to reapply tells me that there was probably never a good reason to decline the application in the first place. St John has been struggling with an ambulance staff shortage, so refusing to re-employ someone who in Sunia Schaaf’s case is really qualified, was a high performer, received awards on behalf of St John, harms our community.
“I would hope [other] employers do the right thing especially employers who are part of the public sector or who receive government money. They need to do the right thing whatever their legal obligations are.”
St John was last week voted New Zealand’s most trusted charity in the Reader’s Digest annual trusted brand awards for the 10th time.
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