A federal jury in Los Angeles ruled in favor of 20th Television, rejecting actor Rockmond Dunbar's claim that he was wrongfully terminated from the TV series "9-1-1" because of his religious objection to the COVID-19 vaccine.
The eight-member panel on Friday unanimously found that the Disney-owned studio didn't violate Dunbar's rights when it removed him from the show in 2021 following the introduction of an on-set vaccine mandate, Variety reported.
"I applied for religious and medical accommodations pursuant to the law and unfortunately was denied by my employer," Dunbar, who portrayed Michael Grant on the series, previously told Deadline.
At trial, he said he refused the vaccine because of his faith in the Congregation of Universal Wisdom, which opposes vaccines and most other medical treatment.
"Man created the COVID-19 vaccine to separate you from God," he said during testimony.
"This is a spiritual war. This is a war of evil against good. I stood on the side of good. I stood on the side of God. I stood on the shoulders of God."
Lawyers for 20th Television, led by Maria Rodriguez of McDermott Will & Schulte, said Dunbar's actions didn't align with the religious principles he claimed to follow.
Rodriguez pointed to his admitted use of synthetic testosterone and anastrozole, treatments that the sect's leader reportedly described as "sacrilegious."
Displaying a list of 37 medications Dunbar took, she told jurors, "This is way far from perfect. This isn't even close."
Dunbar testified that he earned $100,000 per episode on "9-1-1."
He described the series as "a dream job" and said his termination caused severe financial strain.
"I've spent my entire retirement," he said. "This has taken my life into a hole financially that I will never be able to get out of."
The defense called Dr. Glenn Braunstein, a medical consultant for Disney, who challenged several of Dunbar's claims about the vaccine.
Responding to allegations that the shots contained live disease, fetal cells, or unidentified foreign objects, Braunstein said, "Hogwash. It's a ridiculous concept."
Dunbar's attorney, Scott Street, maintained that his client's beliefs were genuine, regardless of whether they aligned with conventional religion.
"What matters is whether he is true to himself and true to his belief," Street told jurors.
"It doesn't have to be right. … What matters is whether you believe them."
In a statement after the verdict, 20th Television said, "We are pleased with today's verdict, which affirms that 20th Television acted fairly and lawfully toward Mr. Dunbar."
Outside the courtroom, Dunbar appeared emotional but said he remained firm in his faith.
"God still won today," he said.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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