ESPN college football sideline reporter Allison Williams announced Friday she is leaving the network over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Williams shared last month she would be leaving the sidelines this season as she sought to forego the vaccine to pursue pregnancy.
This will be the first fall in the last 15 years I won’t be on the sidelines for College Football.
My heart hurts posting this but I’m at peace with my decision. pic.twitter.com/np5V3gdrfW— Allison Williams (@AllisonW_Sports) September 9, 2021
Her Friday announcement noted her request for an accommodation was rejected by ESPN, leaving her no other choice but to leave the network.
“Belief is a word I’ve been thinking about a lot lately because in addition to the medical apprehensions regarding my desire to have another child in regards to receiving this injection, I am also so morally and ethically not aligned with this. And I’ve had to really dig deep and analyze my values and my morals, and, ultimately, I need to put them first,” she said, according to Breitbart News.
“And the irony in all this is that a lot of these same values and morals that I hold dear are what made me a really good employee, what helped with the success that I’m able to have in my career.”
Williams’ September decision was met with controversy, as vaccine advocates were surprised at her decision, while other supported her decision.
The choice will leave ESPN without one of its top college football reporters over an accommodation request it could have chosen to grant.