The ongoing legal battle between actor Rockmond Dunbar and 20th Television has taken a new turn as a U.S. District Judge has ruled that the studio must face a religious discrimination trial for firing Dunbar after he refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Dunbar, an original cast member on the hit series ‘911,’ claimed that his religious beliefs as a follower of the Church of Universal Wisdom conflicted with the vaccine mandate, and he was denied a religious exemption by Disney, which owns 20th Television.
This ruling marks the second instance where a court has allowed a lawsuit against a studio over terminations related to vaccine mandates to proceed to trial. The decision could have significant implications for how studios handle exemptions to vaccine mandates in the future. The trial will assess whether Dunbar’s religious beliefs were sincerely held and if reasonable accommodations could have been offered to allow him to continue working on the series without endangering others or causing undue hardship to the studio.
The case highlights the complex and delicate task of determining what constitutes a religious belief under civil rights laws. While the court expressed skepticism at Dunbar’s claims, it also acknowledged that his beliefs may be strongly held and genuine. The trial will ultimately determine whether 20th Television could have provided a workaround for Dunbar to comply with the vaccine mandate without endangering others.
The ruling comes amidst a broader legal landscape where similar cases have been brought against studios over vaccine mandates. The outcome of this trial could set a precedent for how studios handle religious exemptions to vaccine mandates in the future. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story as the trial progresses.