Six former Bay Area Rapid Transit District Employees who lost their jobs for refusing COVID-19 vaccinations will each receive more than $1 million after a federal jury sided with them in a discrimination lawsuit. The $7.8 million verdict, announced this week, follows a dispute over BART’s 2021 mandate requiring employees to get vaccinated.
BART is a light rail that connects the San Francisco Peninsula with East and South Bay communities.
The employees argued the vaccine mandate violated their religious beliefs and sought exemptions, which the agency denied, and then fired them.
In the lawsuit, their attorneys wrote, “Of the 179 religious objector employees, not one received an accommodation. Exclusion of religious people from the enjoyment of a right stands in violation of the First Amendment’s religion clauses and federal and state anti-discrimination in employment laws.”
Legal nonprofit group The Pacific Justice Institute filed the lawsuit and called the verdict a “legal earthquake.” Brad Dacus, PJI president, said. “These verdicts are seismic — a 7.8 San Francisco legal earthquake. This amazing outcome represents so much hard work by our team, perseverance by these clients, and fairness from our judicial system.”
Lead attorney Kevin Snyder said: “The rail employees chose to lose their livelihood rather than deny their faith. That in itself shows the sincerity and depth of their convictions. After nearly three years of struggle, these essential workers feel they were heard and understood by the jury and are overjoyed and relieved by the verdict.”
A BART official declined to comment on the verdict, according to KRON 4.
Kate McManus ✉
Kate McManus is a New Jersey-based Newsmax writer who's spent more than two decades as a journalist.
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