Jury Awards $4M in Religious Exemption Vaccine Case
A federal jury in Missouri has awarded over $4 million to 13 current and former St. Louis Public Schools employees in a closely watched religious exemption vaccine case. The plaintiffs, who were denied religious accommodations to the district’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate in 2021, claimed violations of their constitutional and civil rights under federal and state law.
The religious exemption vaccine case stems from a June 2022 lawsuit filed by 43 employees, including teachers, custodians, and administrative staff. Plaintiffs argued that the district violated their First Amendment rights, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and the Missouri Human Rights Act when it denied all requests for religious exemptions.
In late June 2025, after an 11-day trial and 14 hours of deliberation, jurors found in favor of 13 remaining plaintiffs, awarding them more than $1 million in actual damages and nearly $3 million in punitive damages. The other 30 employees had previously settled with the district for amounts ranging from $25,000 to $90,000 each.
Lead plaintiff Wanda Brandon, a longtime teacher, said the district “totally ignored the religious exemption request,” treating religious beliefs as if they had no legal standing. “I’m happy we were victorious in court,” Brandon said, “and maybe the district—or any other employers—will learn that you can’t just force people to participate in something they don’t believe in.”
Attorney Kevin Kasper, who represented the employees, emphasized that the religious exemption vaccine case was not about questioning vaccine science but about protecting constitutional rights. “It’s a constitutional case that strengthens citizens’ rights to exercise their religious freedom,” he said.
St. Louis Public Schools had implemented a strict mandate in October 2021, requiring employees to be vaccinated or face unpaid administrative leave. While the policy allowed for medical and religious exemptions, the district denied every religious exemption request submitted, according to internal testimony. Medical exemptions were reviewed individually.
Charles Burton, former human resources director for the district, said in a 2021 deposition that the district believed the rights of students outweighed the religious beliefs of staff. Unvaccinated employees were only allowed to test weekly if their exemption requests were approved—which, in the case of religious objections, none were.
Most of the plaintiffs were reinstated in 2022. The jury’s decision is the latest in a series of rulings nationwide affirming religious accommodation rights in COVID-19 employment cases. Notably, similar verdicts have recently been awarded to plaintiffs in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
The district is expected to appeal the ruling. Kasper acknowledged this possibility, citing the size of the jury award as a likely factor.
If upheld on appeal, the ruling could have broad implications for future religious discrimination litigation. “These types of cases are rare,” Kasper said. “But this jury’s decision helps clarify what those rights are.”
A 2025 survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that U.S. public support for religious exemptions nearly doubled over the last six years, reflecting a growing awareness and concern over workplace accommodation for faith-based objections.
Brandon expressed hope that this case sends a lasting message. “I hope the school district learned a lesson and will never again ignore people’s religious rights,” she said.
DailyClout.IO will continue to follow these trial stories. Source article posted here.
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