“Over 500 Terminated Workers Urge DOJ Civil Rights Probe into New York Vaccine Mandates”
A coalition of over 500 former New York workers and business owners is calling on the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to investigate what they describe as widespread civil and labor rights violations tied to COVID-19 vaccine mandates enforced between 2021 and 2023. In a formal letter addressed to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, the group, operating under the name New York Workers for Choice, urges federal intervention following years of failed appeals at the city and state level.
The letter, sent on May 2, outlines claims from public and private sector employees across a wide range of professions—including teachers, police officers, firefighters, healthcare workers, scientists, and business owners—who say they were terminated, forced into early retirement, or denied employment opportunities due to their decision not to comply with COVID-19 vaccination mandates.
The letter alleges that many workers were removed from their positions without due process, in violation of constitutional protections and collective bargaining agreements. In some cases, signatories claim they were never given formal notice of leave or termination. Others report being pressured into demotions, denied promotions, or stripped of seniority and back pay.
Despite the formal end of the vaccine mandate in New York, the group claims that city and state officials have failed to reinstate experienced workers or repair the damage done to individual careers and small businesses. They accuse former and current public officials—including former Mayor Bill de Blasio, Mayor Eric Adams, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Governor Kathy Hochul—of overstepping legal authority by imposing mandates without legislative approval or union ratification.
The letter also highlights ongoing litigation, referencing active cases such as Kane v. de Blasio and New Yorkers for Religious Liberty v. The City of New York, where plaintiffs have challenged the constitutionality of New York’s COVID-19 mandates. Several of the signatories are represented by legal organizations including Alliance Defending Freedom and independent attorneys known for civil liberties litigation.
Assistant Attorney General Dhillon, recently appointed to lead the DOJ Civil Rights Division, has publicly criticized coercive vaccine mandates and previously worked to overturn the federal OSHA vaccine mandate at the U.S. Supreme Court. Her appointment has raised expectations among civil liberties advocates for a renewed federal focus on pandemic-era rights violations.
The group’s request calls for a formal DOJ investigation into the decision-making behind the mandates, with the goal of achieving reinstatement, compensation, and accountability for the policies they believe violated constitutional protections.
“We believe the Department of Justice under the Trump Administration is our best hope,” the letter concludes, referencing the administration’s decision to reinstate unvaccinated military service members with back pay as a precedent for possible civilian relief.
The DOJ has not yet responded publicly to the request.