Six employees of San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit who were fired for refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccination due to their “sincerely held religious beliefs” recently won a lawsuit and received $1.3 million each.
According to KRON 4, the Bay Area Rapid Transit, a public transit system connecting the East Bay and South Bay communities with the San Francisco Peninsula, was accused of wrongfully firing the employees for refusing to be vaccinated due to their religious beliefs. Federal jurors determined last week that the public transit system was required to pay a $7.8 million payout to six employees.
In response to the jurors’ decision, the Bay Area Rapid Transit told KRON 4 it had “no comment.” The outlet noted that the agency implemented a COVID-19 vaccine requirement in October of 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anyone who requested exceptions from the requirement was fired, according to the lawsuit, which was filed by the Pacific Justice Institute.
“Of the 179 religious objector employees, not one received an accommodation,” the lawsuit stated, according to KRON 4. “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. 109 employees’ requests for religious exemption were denied.”
READ MORE: Schools forced to close amid Covid surge
According to KRON 4, the jury determined that Bay Area Rapid Transit officials did not provide evidence of how retaining the six employees who refused the COVID-19 vaccine caused undue hardship to the agency. Meanwhile, the jury ruled that the six fired employees were able to show that the vaccine policy was in direct conflict with their religious beliefs.
“The rail employees chose to lose their livelihood rather than deny their faith,” Kevin Snyder, the lead trial attorney, said. “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.”
According to KRON 4, the $7.8 million payout includes wages lost due to the agency’s wrongful firing of the six employees and $1 million for each employee fired by the agency.
Following the jury’s decision last week, Pacific Justice Institute President Brad Dacus 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.”
