Six former employees for the Bay Area Rapid Transit agency who lost their jobs when they did not get Covid vaccines for religious reasons have been aw

Transit workers who lost jobs when they didn't get Covid vaccines are awarded $1M

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2024-10-29 20:30:05

Six former employees for the Bay Area Rapid Transit agency who lost their jobs when they did not get Covid vaccines for religious reasons have been awarded more than $1 million each, according to court documents related to a lawsuit the California workers filed.

The Pacific Justice Institute law firm, which represents the plaintiffs, said in a Thursday statement that BART failed to prove an “undue hardship in denying any accommodations to the employees” who sought them based on religious reasons.

“The rail employees chose to lose their livelihood rather than deny their faith," he said in a statement. "That in itself shows the sincerity and depth of their convictions."

One of the plaintiffs had worked for BART for more than 30 years, including a decade-long stretch with perfect attendance, their legal team said.

A class-action lawsuit filed in October 2022 said BART granted the vaccine religious exemption for some, but denied accommodations in every instance. Failing to provide accommodations, according to the lawsuit, violated California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act.

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