Snohomish Co. firefighters who refused vaccine appeal to US Supreme Court

EVERETT — Eight firefighters, placed on unpaid leave for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine on religious grounds, have appealed their case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Lawyers for the group filed a petition Thursday with the court, seven months after a federal appellate court ruled against them on Sept. 2.

The petition asks the Supreme Court to clarify that an employer must show “actual undue hardship,” not reasonable concern of undue hardship, in order to deny religious accommodations, according to a press release from First Liberty Institute, a law firm exclusively focused on religious freedom cases.

The Supreme Court receives around 7,000 to 8,000 petitions each term, but only grants and hears oral arguments in about 80 cases.

https://www.heraldnet.com/2026/04/17/snohomish-co-firefighters-who-refused-vaccine-appeal-to-us-supreme-court/