California Rail Transit Officials Ordered to Pay Over $7 Million to Unvaccinated Workers

Bay Area Workers Win Lawsuit

California's Bay Area rail transit officials have been directed to pay over $7 million to transit employees who were dismissed for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

On October 23, a federal jury in the U.S District Court for the Northern District of California sided with six former San Francisco Bay Area Regional Transit (BART) employees who declined the vaccine due to religious beliefs.

Compensation Awarded

The jury ordered BART to pay the group over $7.8 million, with each individual receiving between $1.2 million and $1.5 million, according to the Pacific Justice Institute. The institute, a law firm that has been representing the six former employees since 2022, stated that the eight-person jury deliberated for two days before returning the verdict awarding the employees the compensation.

BART's Failure

A week prior, the federal jury also determined that BART failed to prove it suffered undue hardship by denying accommodations to the former employees involved in the case.

On October 23, the jury further concluded that the six employees successfully demonstrated a conflict between their religious beliefs and the BART vaccine mandate, implemented in 2021.

Lost Wages and Legal Earthquake

The jury agreed with the plaintiffs' provided figures for lost wages incurred after losing their jobs and added $1 million each to those figures. The law firm described the verdict as a "legal earthquake."

Kevin Snider, the Pacific Justice Institute's chief counsel, who served as lead trial attorney, stated, "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."

Jury Disagrees with BART's Arguments

BART's lawyers argued that multiple employees who had conflicts with receiving the vaccine had secular, not religious reasons. However, the jury disagreed with those arguments, according to the Pacific Justice Institute.

Vaccine Mandate and Lawsuit

BART's board of directors approved the vaccine mandate in October 2021, requiring all employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine. It allowed some employees to be exempt from the vaccine, including for religious reasons.

A year later, BART employees filed a class-action lawsuit accusing the operator of denying religious accommodations that violated state law.

Judge's Ruling

U.S. District Judge William Alsup, who presided over the lawsuit against BART, ruled that the operator's policies did not violate the employees' right to religious freedom, according to an order he issued in March.

A separate order issued by Alsup in January found that BART received 188 requests for a religious exemption and accommodation, and of that figure, 40 chose not to complete the process. They were either terminated from employment or ultimately got the vaccine.

No Comment from BART

BART was contacted for comment on October 25 but did not respond by publication time. The rail operator's spokesman, James Allison, told local news outlet SFGate that it had "no comment" on the verdict.

Bottom Line

This case highlights the ongoing tension between personal beliefs and public health mandates. It raises questions about the extent to which employers can enforce health-related rules and the rights of employees to refuse based on religious or personal beliefs. What are your thoughts on this matter? Do you think the jury's decision was fair? Share this article with your friends and start a conversation. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is delivered every day at 6pm.