Washington Nationals VP resigns over team's COVID-19 vaccine requirement: Report

Washington Nationals vice president Bob Boone has reportedly resigned from his role at the Washington Nationals rather than be forced to comply with the team's mandatory COVID-19 requirement.

The Washington Nationals were one of the first baseball teams to require vaccines for non-playing, full-time employees.

What are the details?

A Wednesday report from ESPN stated that Boone told the team that he will resign rather than comply with a COVID-19 mandate for all non-uniformed employees.

The Washington Post first reported the news of the 73-year-old vice president's resignation and noted that Boone isn't the only one leaving the team: Two scouts are reportedly being dismissed from the Nationals' organization next season due to the vaccine policy.

"The Washington Nationals are undergoing a staff shake-up after mandating a vaccine requirement for non-playing employees, including the impending departure of longtime front-office adviser Bob Boone," the Post reported. "The Nationals also told eight scouts that their contracts will not be renewed for next season, according to multiple people familiar with the situation, with two of those decisions based on unwillingness to comply with the vaccine mandate."

According to the report, the Nationals said employees were told about the policy on Aug. 14 and had until Aug. 26 to provide proof of vaccination. In an August statement, the team said, "As a company, we have a responsibility to do everything we can to keep one another safe and felt that mandating vaccines was the absolute right thing to do for our employees and our community."

"Unvaccinated employees are now on unpaid administrative leave and have until Sept. 15 to comply or have their contracts terminated," the Post added.

Boone told the outlet on Wednesday that he and the Nationals are "unfortunately" parting ways.

According to the Post's reporting, "[Washington Nationals] [p]layers are the only Nationals employees who can be unvaccinated and remain with the team. They cannot be subject to a vaccine requirement unless that is collectively bargained for by MLB and the players' union."