The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Photo: Valerie Macon / Getty Images
Two Beverly Hills firefighters presented Lawsuit Against Los Angeles County and City of Beverly Hills Over COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate.
The plaintiffs alleged that the immunization ordinance for county health workers should be declared void, in addition to maintaining that municipal authorities do not have to question religious exemptions to the mandate.
The lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court was presented by firefighters Josh Sattley and Ettore Berardinelli Jr.
It was mentioned that the plaintiffs they also seek payment of unspecified compensatory damages.
The city of Beverly Hills highlighted that the work of emergency responders places them at the forefront of patient care, especially during the current coronavirus pandemic.
In August, Los Angeles County Health Officer Muntu Davis, issued an order to require all workers in the health sector to receive the vaccine against COVID-19, including firefighters.
The lawsuit filed contends that Davis’ actions were arbitrary and capricious for not considering the evidence and needs of coronavirus vaccinesas well as the costs of the mandates, including the short-term and long-term side effects that are allegedly related to them.
Although requests for religious or medical exemptions are recognized in many places, Beverly Hills authorities want all of their workers immunized, lawsuit says.
“He subjected firefighters who requested a religious exemption, such as Messrs. Sattley and Berardinelli, to cross-examination designed to undermine their credibility and pressure them, under threat of prosecution, to renounce their religious freedom and be vaccinated,” the brief said.
For months, Sattley has remained on unpaid leave status for opposing the vaccine order; while Berardinelli received a religious exemption, but the city of Beverly Hills has constantly reviewed it and has been subjected to retaliation.
Although he extended his religious exemption from early fall, authorities assigned Bernardinelli to a different job, which receives fewer calls.
Berardinelli has recovered from COVID-19 and is thought to possess natural immunity to the disease.
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