A judge has awarded six former public employees nearly $8 million after they were fired for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic for religious reasons. A federal judge in California has upheld a jury verdict awarding $7.8 million to the six former employees of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART).
Judge William A. Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued the ruling on December 30, maintaining the jury’s October decision despite acknowledging minor flaws in the trial process. Judge Alsup determined that while there were “imperfections” in the jury instructions, they did not significantly impact the fairness of the trial.
He rejected BART’s post-trial motions to overturn the verdict and to seek a new trial. The judge cited the agency’s failure to prove that accommodating the employees’ religious objections would have posed significant hardship.
Judge Alsup pointed out the financial links between BART and its vaccine experts, which the jury might have deemed biased and affected their credibility. No clear evidence or witness testimony was presented to the BART board regarding the scientific basis for the mandate during its adoption.
Several lawsuits have been launched against employers, including the U.S. military, who terminated workers for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
In August of last year, President-elect Donald J. Trump announced he would hire back every unvaccinated veteran. Trump also stated that each veteran would receive an apology and back pay.
Vaccine manufacturers have also faced legal troubles, with a 2023 lawsuit claiming that vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine was “defective” and led to serious injuries and death for some of those who took it.
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