Former ‘9-1-1’ Star To Argue Case That Disney Shouldn’t Have Fired Him for Refusing Covid Vaccine in 2021

Actor Rockmond Dunbar will finally have his day in court after four years, bringing forth a lawsuit against the producers of the hit television series “9-1-1” over claims that they cut him from the show after he refused to get the Covid-19 vaccine.The thespian claims that religious beliefs had prevented him from getting the jab in October 2021 when production studios began to make the vaccine a requirement; a month later he was fired. The move from studio brass left Mr. Dunbar out of work for years until he resurfaced in a 2024 Peacock series, “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist.” With the trial beginning Tuesday, Mr. Dunbar is taking a shot at redemption, making the case for why he refused to comply with vaccine mandates.He has claimed that he is a member of the Congregation of Universal Wisdom –– a fringe religious organization that opposes the external judgement by any legal body over an individual’s “medical freedom.” The congregation has been at the forefront of legal battles over vaccine requirements long before pandemic regulations.Mr. Dunbar has maintained that his faith prevents him from injecting into his body chemicals that “defy natural law.”Producers of the show, Disney’s 20th Television, say that the actor is making false religious claims to avoid the mandate. They cited a pre-trial investigation where their lawyers discovered that he had been taking other drugs like steroids for shoulder pain and regularly getting synthetic testosterone injections since 2018, according to Variety.The trial is dredging up reminders from the time of the pandemic in Hollywood when unions were forced to navigate complex safety protocols for movie and TV production, which included frequent testing, distancing regulations, and mask requirements.The protocols reflected regulations in place across the country through 2023, though public fatigue with the rules had set in long before they ended.Lawyers for 20th Television are likely to avoid mention of Covid protocols during litigation. In an exhibit prepared for the jury, the legal team says that they respect Mr. Dunbar’s personal choice to not receive the vaccine but will argue whether that choice was born out of a sincere religious belief.Federal law mandates that employers make reasonable accommodations for employees’ religious practices under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.Mr. Dunbar’s lawyers argue the actor holds a complex belief system that blends Universal Wisdom faith with Buddhist and African Yoruba teachings.“Since at least 2014, Plaintiff has held sincere religious beliefs that prevent him from receiving vaccines because he believes they will tether his soul to earth, thereby preventing him from ascending to be with God after his death,” his attorneys said in a pre-trial memo, adding that the actor does not need to perfectly adhere to Universal Wisdom practices in order for his beliefs to be protected.Mr. Dunbar says he is “not against western medicine” as long as it was made with “God’s consent” or does not cloud his relationship with God.“I believe God told everybody in this world, before they sat down or as they sat down to receive the shot, to not get it,” the actor said during his deposition. “And they chose to do it. So that was their spiritual test, and they failed.”

Former ‘9-1-1’ Star To Argue Case That Disney Shouldn’t Have Fired Him for Refusing Covid Vaccine in 2021

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