SAN FRANCISCO — A federal jury has sided with fired Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) employees who sued the agency over its coronavirus vaccination mandate, claiming they lost their jobs.
A total of six people are participating in the lawsuit, each of whom will receive more than $1 million.
PREVIOUS: Federal jury deliberates over BART employees fired due to coronavirus vaccination mandate
The employees claim they claimed a religious exemption from the vaccination requirement, but were unable to get transportation coverage and subsequently lost their jobs.
BART initially granted a vaccine exemption, but the plaintiffs argued that it was not acceptable. Accommodation could allow people to work from home or take regular coronavirus tests. They claimed that nothing of the sort happened and that they lost their jobs.
Video: Unvaccinated BART employees react after exemption denied
On the eve of Thanksgiving, many unvaccinated BART employees learned their requests for religious exemptions from the coronavirus vaccination requirement had been denied.
BART must now pay a total of $7.8 million to all six former employees.
BART’s board of directors voted 8-1 in favor of a vaccine mandate in 2021, even though BART is already a transit agency with a deficit of $350 million to $400 million.
BART did not comment on Wednesday’s decision.
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