• A federal court ordered St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) to pay $90,000 each to two former employees denied religious exemptions to the district’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, marking a significant legal victory for religious freedom.
• SLPS implemented a strict vaccine mandate in 2021, denying all 150–200 religious exemption requests without individualized review, leading to unpaid leave or termination for unvaccinated employees.
• The lawsuit, filed by 43 employees, alleged violations of the First Amendment, 14th Amendment and civil rights laws, arguing the policy disproportionately targeted religious objections while granting medical exemptions more leniently.
• The case is part of a growing trend of legal victories for employees challenging vaccine mandates, with similar rulings in Michigan and Tennessee reinforcing the protection of religious freedom during public health crises.
• The ruling underscores the enduring importance of religious liberty in American history, emphasizing that constitutional rights cannot be suspended, even in emergencies, and serves as a call to action to defend individual freedoms.

In a stunning rebuke of government overreach, a federal court has ordered St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) to pay $90,000 each to two former employees who were denied religious exemptions to the district’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. This ruling is the latest in a growing wave of legal victories for Americans fighting to protect their constitutional rights in the face of coercive pandemic policies.

The case, which began in 2021, highlights the ongoing tension between public health mandates and the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. For the plaintiffs, the fight was never just about a vaccine—it was about the right to live according to their deeply held religious beliefs without fear of losing their livelihoods.

A mandate that divided a community

In August 2021, SLPS announced a strict vaccine mandate requiring all employees to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, which was the only fully licensed vaccine at the time. The policy allowed for medical exemptions on a “case-by-case basis” and promised to consider religious exemptions for employees with “sincerely held religious beliefs.” However, the district’s actions told a different story.

Despite its promises, SLPS denied every single religious exemption request it received—an estimated 150 to 200 applications—without individualized review. Employees who refused the vaccine were placed on unpaid leave or terminated, leaving many families in financial distress.

“The District’s alleged policy put Plaintiffs to a choice: compromise their convictions or lose their livelihoods,” wrote U.S. Chief District Judge Stephen R. Clark in his June 2023 ruling. “Restrictions impermissibly infringing on constitutional rights, like the right to freely exercise one’s religion, spread across the country like a virus.”

The judge’s words echo the sentiments of countless Americans who felt betrayed by institutions that prioritized compliance over constitutional rights.

A legal victory for religious freedom

The lawsuit, filed by 43 SLPS employees in June 2022, alleged violations of the First Amendment, the 14th Amendment’s Due Process and Equal Protection clauses, and federal and state civil rights laws. The plaintiffs argued that the district’s policy disproportionately targeted employees with religious objections, while granting medical exemptions more leniently.

The court agreed, ruling that the employees had sufficient grounds to pursue their claims. The decision paved the way for settlements, with two employees receiving 90,000 each and four others awarded 25,000 in July 2024. Another 35 employees are currently in mediation talks, with the possibility of a jury trial if negotiations fail.

This case is part of a broader trend of legal victories for employees who were wrongfully terminated over vaccine mandates. In November 2024, a Michigan jury awarded 12.7 million to a Catholic woman fired by Blue Cross Blue Shield for refusing the COVID?19 vaccine. Similarly, a Tennessee jury awarded 687,000 to a scientist who cited religious objections to the vaccine.

These rulings underscore the importance of protecting religious freedom, even in times of crisis. As Judge Clark noted, the district’s actions not only violated constitutional rights but also created a self-inflicted staffing shortage. “When the District suspended and/or terminated over 100 employees en masse for refusing the vaccine, it may have imposed on itself a staff shortage of a worse nature than the one it sought to avoid in the first place,” he wrote.

Why this matters

The fight for religious freedom is deeply rooted in American history. The First Amendment was designed to protect individuals from government coercion in matters of faith, a principle that has been tested repeatedly throughout the nation’s history. From the persecution of Quakers in colonial America to the Supreme Court’s landmark rulings in Sherbert v. Verner (1963) and Burwell v. Hobby Lobby (2014), the courts have consistently affirmed the right to religious liberty.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought these issues to the forefront once again, as governments and employers imposed sweeping mandates with little regard for individual rights. The SLPS case is a reminder that constitutional freedoms cannot be suspended, even in the name of public health.

A call to action

The St. Louis lawsuit is more than a legal victory—it’s a wake-up call for Americans to remain vigilant in defending their rights. As vaccine mandate cases continue to make their way through the courts, the outcomes will shape the future of religious freedom in the workplace.

For those who value health freedom and constitutional rights, this case is a beacon of hope. It demonstrates that even in the face of overwhelming pressure, individuals can stand up to government overreach and win.

As one unnamed SLPS employee told Fox 2 St. Louis in 2021, the mandate created “a lot of added stress … because we are missing so many people.” Today, those missing voices are being heard loud and clear in courtrooms across the country.

Sources include:

ChildrensHealthDefense.org

Stltoday.com

SharylAttkisson.com