A group of teachers on Thursday filed an emergency request with the Supreme Court, asking justices to block New York City’s school COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Lawyers for the plaintiffs, a group of teachers, said in a 99-page petition that the mandate “threatens the education of thousands of children in the largest public-school system in the country and violates the substantive due process and equal protection rights afforded to all public-school employees.” The mandate forces teachers and other school workers to get a COVID-19 vaccine to remain employed unless they are approved for a religious or medical exemption. A federal judge last week granted a temporary injunction against it but a federal appeals panel on Monday decided to let the mandate take effect. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel did not explain their ruling. Thousands of teachers will lose their jobs when the order imposes punishment at 5 p.m. …