In Keene v. City and County of San Francisco, (ND CA, Sept. 23, 2022), a California federal district court dismissed a suit by two city employees who objected on religious grounds to the city's COVID vaccine mandate. The court said in part:
Neither Plaintiff has demonstrated that their religious beliefs are sincere or that those beliefs conflict with receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. There are no grounds upon which to assert the mistaken conclusion that the FDA-approved vaccines contain fetal cells or are otherwise derived from murdered babies.... Feeling passionately about something or having a specific personal preference does not merit the status of a sincere religious belief....
The court denied a preliminary injunction under Title VII and California's Fair Employment and Housing Law, also concluding:
It is well-settled law that loss of employment does not constitute irreparable harm for purposes of an injunction....
