Dozens of New York City employees who lost their jobs for not complying with the covid-19 vaccine mandate have filed a $250 million lawsuit seeking to end the rule as the pandemic is winding down, new court papers show.
The group of 72 former employees are asking a judge to overturn the mandate given that politicians, including President Biden, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Sen. Chuck Schumer, have “all declared the pandemic is over,” according to a Bronx Supreme Court lawsuit from Thursday. Many of the fired employees — from the NYPD, FDNY, Department of Education, Department of Health and other agencies –worked for the city for over 20 years, still they “were ‘thrown to the curb’ and callously terminated,” the suit claims.
The city continues to enforce the mandate for public sector employees is “arbitrary and capricious,” given it has “been rescinded for virtually everyone else in New York City,” the filing charges. The suit claims that being vaccinated doesn’t fully prevent people from still spreading the virus, and notes certain side effects have increased in those who were vaccinated. Meanwhile, those who haven’t been vaccinated “have passed covid-19 and have natural immunity,” the court papers claim.