Sixth Circuit Rules in Favor of San Jose Firefighters Suspended for Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine

Americans will never forget how our government overreacted to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially how officials violated our religious and conscience rights. Hard-working Americans lost their jobs because they refused to be injected with experimental vaccines. Churchgoers couldn’t gather in sanctuaries to worship.

Some leftists clamored for vaccine passports and even said that ERs shouldn’t accept patients who refused vaccines.

Those days are gone, and we will never submit again.

A group of firefighters in San Jose who had been placed on five-weeks’ leave for refusing the vaccine have been vindicated. They sued the city, but a lower court dismissed the case. They appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. CBN announced that the court reversed the lower court’s ruling and awarded costs to the firefighters. An excerpt (emphasis added):

Justice Daniel H. Bromberg wrote in his opinion that “the City has failed to offer any persuasive reason why involuntary unpaid leave exceeding a month should not be considered an adverse employment action, much less to cite any authority taking such a position.”

The Pacific Justice Institute is applauding the ruling.

“Public safety requires that all first responders be available for service. The City exercised poor judgment by keeping firefighters sidelined,” said Kevin Snider of PJI who argued the case.

State, city, and local governments treated churches differently from secular organizations during the pandemic and impinged on Americans’ constitutional rights in other ways.

Many pastors across the county resisted the government’s orders to shut down or limit services. My favor example is John MacArthur, chancellor of The Master’s Seminary, pastor of Grace Community Church in Southern California, author, and founder of the internationally syndicated Grace to You radio program.

He continued to hold indoor worship services in defiance of government orders to stop because of COVID-19.

Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles County went after Pastor MacArthur’s church and him personally. For example, the county government issued a 30-day notice to terminate a lease agreement for land his church had used as a parking lot for 45 years.

Pastor MacArthur filed lawsuits. He was vindicated when the state and county settled, paying him $800,000. The county rescinded the lease termination as part of the settlement.

The government also trampled on law-abiding residents’ Second Amendment rights.

— Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced that gun stores must close, deeming them non-essential businesses. He threatened to take away their business licenses if they remained open. After a backlash, he backed down. Other sheriffs suspended concealed-carry permit applications. How was that going to stop the spread of COVID-19?

— In one Georgia county, a judge ordered the county not to process concealed carry permit applications. Since then, more states have passed pro-gun laws that have eliminated the need to apply for concealed carry permits.

There were many more constitutional violations during the pandemic. Read about them under our COVID-19 category of blog posts.

Photo credit: Ian Abbott (Creative Commons) – Some rights reserved

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