Former York cop who quit over COVID-19 protocols will sell houses in Oshawa, Uxbridge and Whitby

A York Regional Police officer who made a stink about vaccine requirements as he announced his resignation over social media has landed a job at his wife’s realty firm to sell houses in Durham Region.

Now-former York Detective Constable Mike Rapson of Stouffville announced his departure from York Regional Police in a lengthy Instagram tirade decrying the force’s vaccination requirements.

“What was being asked of me, I could no longer accept,” Rapson said in his statement, before elaborating, “Medical freedom and bodily autonomy are non-negotiables. Or at least they should be.”

However, York Region Police, much like their Durham Region counterparts, do not require their officers or civilian workers to be vaccinated. They do however require unvaccinated members to submit COVID-19 tests every 72 hours at their expense, or face an unpaid leave of absence.

Durham Deputy Chief Joseph Maiorano estimated the testing would cost officers $150 to $200 a month under the DRPS program, an initiative he stressed was on par with other police services such as York. The average salary of a Detective Constable in 2020 was $126,000 according to the Ontario Sunshine List.

This represents much more latitude for vaccination status than that granted to employees who work directly for both Regional governments who will lose their jobs if they are unvaccinated prompting councillors from both regions to voice concerns of a double-standard for police.

Undeterred by this exception for officers, Rapson said, “in my eyes is an absolute violation of our rights. Our Human rights, Charter rights, and more importantly a violation of our God-given rights to live free,” echoing rhetoric espoused by anti-vaxxers in protests outside the homes of Christine Elliott and Doug Ford, and a children’s vaccine clinic in Whitby.

However, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Human Rights Commission grant Canadians their rights, noted lawyer Caryma Sa’d, who said people who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine do not constitute a protected class under the commission.

Sa’d, a vocal critic of anti-vax ideologies said on social media that based on the Ontario Human Rights Code policy statement on COVID-19 vaccine mandates, “vaccination status is not a protected ground.”

The Ontario Human Rights Commission lists 17 personal attributes that are treated as ‘protected grounds’ including;

• citizenship,
• race,
• place of origin,
• ethnic origin,
• colour,
• ancestry,
• disability,
• age,
• creed,
• sex/pregnancy,
• family status,
• marital status,
• sexual orientation,
• gender identity,
• gender expression,
• receipt of public assistance (in housing) and
• record of offences (in employment)

While COVID vaccines won’t stop 100 per cent of transmissions, a Dutch study from October found vaccinated people are 63 per cent less likely to transmit the virus to their contacts.

This would represent far fewer infections amid the highly communicable Omicron variant driving Ontario’s fifth COVID-19 wave which has caused 148,416 new cases over the last two weeks, nearly 18 per cent of all cases seen in Ontario since the pandemic began.

Rapson’s departure from York police comes after a 16-year career that he called his “dream job following in my father’s footsteps.” He ends his post saying he is”Excited A.F for the next chapter, where I get to work side by side with my best friend” – his wife Jennifer Rapson, who is a nurse and realtor.

The pair operate Rapson Team Real Estate the website of which features listings in Oshawa, Uxbridge, and Whitby as well as across the GTA. While it is unknown when they started the company an associated Instagram account has been active for 34 weeks, while the website lists a 2022 copyright.