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Religious Exemption Win in New Jersey: Man Fired Over COVID Vaccine Mandate Awarded $670,000
An Essex County, New Jersey, jury returned a unanimous 8-0 verdict in favor of Theodore “Teddy” DeBlasio, a former county groundskeeper who lost his job after the county denied his religious exemption from its COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
By Innovative Parenting NJ
On Sept. 25, an Essex County jury returned a unanimous 8-0 verdict in favor of Theodore “Teddy” DeBlasio, a former county groundskeeper who lost his job after his religious exemption from Essex County’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate was denied.
According to Coyle Law Group, this is New Jersey’s first jury verdict in a COVID-19 religious exemption case. DeBlasio was awarded more than $670,000 for lost wages and emotional harm, with attorneys’ fees still to come.
At trial, evidence showed that in February 2022, Essex County denied religious exemption requests from Christian and Catholic employees while approving requests from Muslim employees.
The press release states that unvaccinated Muslim healthcare workers were allowed to continue working with masking and testing, while DeBlasio, who primarily worked outdoors maintaining hospital grounds, was not.
The jury ultimately found that Essex County discriminated against DeBlasio because of his Christian faith.
This case is bigger than one vaccine mandate.
It raises a fundamental question: Can government apply different standards to religious beliefs depending on who is asking for the accommodation?
Religious liberty and equal treatment under the law should apply consistently to everyone.
This verdict is an important reminder that religious exemption decisions can be challenged and that government employers can be held accountable when accommodations are not handled fairly.
A significant win for religious liberty in New Jersey and one worth paying attention to. Congratulations to Mr. DeBlasio & John Coyle, Esq.
Originally published on Innovative Parenting NJ’s Substack page.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Children’s Health Defense.
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