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New York Healthcare Workers Vaccine Mandate Class Action Lawsuit Overview:
- Who: A federal appeals court undid a temporary injunction given to New York healthcare workers over the state’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
- Why: Healthcare workers argue they should be able to receive religious exemption from having to follow the mandate.
- Where: The vaccine mandate affects healthcare workers in the state of New York.
A federal appeals court halted a temporary injunction for New York healthcare workers who requested religious exemption from the state’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
The temporary injunction stemmed from a vaccine mandate that was put in place by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo which stipulated all healthcare workers in the state must receive at least one dose of the vaccine by Sept. 27.
The two class action lawsuits that led to the temporary injunction were sent back down to a lower court for continued litigation, reports CNN.
In one complaint, filed last month, a total of 17 anonymous healthcare workers — including nurses, doctors, and residents — objected that the mandate being enforced by the New York State Department of Health doesn’t grant religious exemption.
Cameron Atkinson, an attorney who represents three nurse plaintiffs told CNN the vaccine mandate forced their clients to choose between their faith and their livelihoods.
“New York’s mandate forces an abominable choice on New York healthcare workers: abandon their faith or lose their careers,” Atkinson told CNN.
Atkinson told CNN his clients have “committed their futures to God’s hands” and that they remain confident they will ultimately prevail in court.
“We remain optimistic that the United States Supreme Court will strike down New York’s discriminatory mandate as violating the First Amendment,” the attorney said.
The temporary injunction being lifted will affect nearly 16,000 New York healthcare workers who have been granted religious exemption from following the vaccine mandate, reports CNN.
Healthcare workers who have been granted now-defunct religious exemptions work in the state’s hospitals, nursing homes, adult homes, hospice facilities, certified home health agencies, and licensed home care service agencies.
Also in New York, a federal appeals court put a vaccine mandate on hold earlier this month after teachers in the New York City public school systems claimed they should not be required to get the vaccine to return to the classroom.
A similar class action lawsuit was filed earlier this month by 12 employees of the city of Chicago who claim a COVID-19 vaccine mandate put in place by the city violates their constitutional and civil rights.
Are you a New York healthcare worker who feels you should be religiously exempt from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine? Let us know in the comments!
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- Judge Approves $5m Preliminary Settlement in Rutgers COVID-19 Tuition Case
One thought on New York Healthcare Workers Can No Longer Claim Religious Exemption From Vaccine Mandate, Says Appeals Court
My wife was let go from her job at Unity Hospital in Rochester, NY after they had already granted her a religious exemption (she work there more that 15 years). She also recovered from covid in August 2021 and has antibodies and immunity now. What can we do?