News Release
For Immediate Release: 3.28.22
Contact: Lacey McNiel, media@firstliberty.org
Direct: 972-941-4453
Breaking: Federal Court Expands Injunction Against Military Vaccine Mandate to Include All U.S. Navy Personnel
First Liberty Institute asked court to expand Navy SEALs lawsuit, injunction to class action on behalf of all U.S. Navy personnel
Ft. Worth, TX—The United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas today expanded a lawsuit, and the preliminary injunction it issued in January in favor of dozens of Navy SEALs, stopping the Department of Defense from punishing any Navy personnel who have religious objections to the Department’s vaccine mandate. The class action and classwide injunction protect every U.S. Navy service member who requested a religious accommodation from the vaccine mandate.
The order can be read here.
“No service member should be punished or driven out of the military for following their faith,” said Mike Berry, Director of Military Affairs for First Liberty Institute. “The purge of religious servicemembers is not just devastating to morale but it is bringing about about a measurable reduction in readiness that harms America’s national security. It’s time for our military to honor its constitutional obligations and grant religious accommodations for service members with sincere religious objections to the vaccine.”
In his decision today, Judge Reed O’Connor said, “Here, the potential class members have suffered the ‘same injury,’ arising from violations of their constitutional rights. Each has submitted a religious accommodation request, and each has had his request denied, delayed, or dismissed on appeal. Exactly zero requests have been granted. And while Defendants encourage this Court to disregard the data, it is hard to imagine a more consistent display of discrimination. As previously explained in this Court’s preliminary injunction order, Plaintiffs have suffered the serious injury of infringement of their religious liberty rights under RFRA and the First Amendment.”
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About First Liberty Institute
First Liberty Institute is a non-profit public interest law firm and the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.
To arrange an interview, contact Lacey McNiel at media@firstliberty.org or by calling 972-941-4453.
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