The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review a dispute involving eight Snohomish County firefighters who were sent home without pay after citing religious objections to a mandatory coronavirus vaccination.
The high court’s decision to deny certiorari on Monday leaves the lower court rulings in place. The legal battle traces back to November 2022, when the group of eight employees filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. They alleged that their employer, Snohomish Regional Fire Rescue, violated their religious rights by enforcing a vaccine mandate established in 2021. The plaintiffs sought compensation for lost wages, unused vacation time, and other benefits accrued during their unpaid leave.
Counsel for the firefighters contended that the district’s policy for unvaccinated staff, which was negotiated with the firefighters’ union, failed to provide a valid accommodation. They argued the policy effectively discriminated against the employees due to their sincerely held beliefs.
In January 2024, a federal district court judge ruled in favor of the fire district. Subsequently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld that decision, prompting the plaintiffs to seek a final review from the nation’s highest court. The Supreme Court typically accepts only about 80 of the roughly 7,000 to 8,000 petitions it receives annually for oral argument.
A spokesperson for the fire district declined to issue a statement regarding the finality of the litigation.
Lauren Petersen, wife of the lead plaintiff, stated that the court’s refusal to hear the case marks the conclusion of the legal process, leaving no further options for appeal. In an email, she noted that while the specific lawsuit has ended, the broader advocacy for religious freedom continues. She emphasized that the group and their families intend to support others facing similar challenges, citing their personal experience of having their livelihoods threatened by their faith.
According to earlier reporting, many of the firefighters involved in the original complaint have since returned to their duties. The Snohomish Regional Fire Rescue Board of Commissioners voted in the spring of 2022 to permit the employees to resume work. At that time, former Fire Chief Kevin O’Brien indicated that the district had always intended to bring the staff back. He explained that the changing landscape of the pandemic allowed the district to safely accommodate individual cases, a shift from the conditions present in the previous winter and fall.
A nonprofit legal organization that participated in the litigation stated in a press release that the Supreme Court’s ruling affirmed a fire department’s ability to decline religious accommodation requests.
Senior counsel Cliff Martin with First Liberty commented that Washington could celebrate the removal of religious liberty protections for the firm's clients. He further noted that government officials should be aware the organization will continue to fight for employees of faith to secure equal workplace opportunities, adding that they will fight until every employee has access to religious accommodations.