Six Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) employees in San Francisco have been awarded over $1 million each following their firings for refusing to comply with a COVID-19 vaccination mandate. The federal jury ruled in favor of the employees, granting them a total of $7.8 million—approximately $1.3 million for each worker—after they filed a discrimination lawsuit citing wrongful termination due to their “sincerely held religious beliefs.”
The dispute arose after BART implemented a vaccination policy in October 2021 that required all employees to be fully vaccinated. The plaintiffs, represented by attorneys from the Pacific Justice Institute, argued that their requests for religious exemptions were unfairly denied, violating their First Amendment rights and state and federal employment anti-discrimination laws. The lawsuit highlighted that 109 employees had their religious exemption requests turned down.
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During the trial, the jury found that BART officials failed to demonstrate that accommodating the employees’ religious beliefs would pose an undue hardship. It was established that the six plaintiffs genuinely experienced a conflict between their faith and the vaccine. Lead trial attorney Kevin Snyder emphasized, “The rail employees chose to lose their livelihood rather than deny their faith. That in itself shows the sincerity and depth of their convictions.”
The ruling comes nearly three years after the firings, and the awarded payout includes compensation for lost wages, as well as an additional $1 million for each employee terminated. While BART did not comment on the jury’s decision, this case raises significant discussions about the balance between public health mandates and individual rights in the workplace.
