CITIZENS NEWS

Federal jury awards $4 million to St. Louis school employees denied religious vaccine exemptions

By isabelle // 2025-07-14

• A federal jury awarded over $4 million to 13 St. Louis school employees denied religious exemptions from a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
• The plaintiffs sued for violations of First Amendment rights and religious discrimination, with the jury awarding punitive damages.
• Not a single religious exemption was granted by the district, while medical exemptions were approved case-by-case.
• The ruling reinforces a growing trend of legal victories for employees opposing vaccine mandates on religious grounds.
• The case sets a precedent, warning employers against violating constitutional rights and coercing medical interventions.

In a landmark victory for religious liberty and health freedom, a federal jury in St. Louis has awarded more than $4 million to 13 current and former public school employees who were denied religious exemptions from the district’s 2021 COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The decisive ruling sends a clear message to employers nationwide: trampling constitutional rights carries a steep price. The employees, backed by the Kasper Law Firm, sued St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) for violating their First Amendment rights, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and the Missouri Human Rights Act. The jury unanimously sided with the plaintiffs, awarding $1 million in actual damages and $3 million in punitive damages, in a resounding rebuke of the district’s discriminatory policy.

Religious discrimination laid bare

In August 2021, SLPS rolled out one of Missouri’s strictest vaccine mandates, requiring all staff to take the Pfizer shot, which was the only fully approved COVID-19 vaccine at the time. While the district claimed it would review medical and religious exemptions, former HR Director Charles Burton admitted under oath that not a single religious exemption was granted. Medical exemptions, however, were approved on a case-by-case basis. “They accepted medical, but they discriminated against us,” said lead plaintiff Wanda Brandon, a district secretary. “They chose to deny every single religious exemption that submitted." She added, "We were treated as if religious beliefs don’t hold any type of weight.” Brandon and her colleagues were forced into an impossible ultimatum: violate deeply held convictions or lose their livelihoods. Forty-seven employees were placed on unpaid leave; one principal resigned in protest.

Jury condemns district’s "blatant discrimination"

After an 11-day trial, jurors took just 14 hours to deliver their verdict, slamming SLPS for its blatant disregard for religious liberties. Each plaintiff received between $64,000 and $94,000 in back pay and emotional distress compensation, plus $230,000 in punitive damages in a clear signal that such authoritarian overreach will not be tolerated. “The jury heard the evidence that was presented, and they saw that it was blatant discrimination,” Brandon said. Kevin Kasper, the plaintiffs’ attorney, emphasized the broader implications: “If individuals, such as the plaintiffs in this case, don’t stand up for their rights, essentially they’ll get whittled away. We were glad that our clients stood up for their rights and that they went to trial. The jury, I think in this case, came down with the right decision.” The St. Louis case is the latest in a wave of legal victories for employees resisting coercive vaccine mandates. In November 2024, a Michigan jury awarded $12.7 million to a Catholic woman fired by Blue Cross Blue Shield over her religious objection. Last summer, federal appeals courts ruled in favor of plaintiffs in at least 10 similar cases, including a Philadelphia prosecutor and a Tennessee healthcare worker. Yet the battle is far from over. Even though courts have repeatedly upheld religious freedoms, the U.S. Supreme Court recently declined to hear an appeal from Maine healthcare workers fired for refusing the shot. Meanwhile, SLPS is expected to appeal the $4 million verdict.

A warning to employers

If upheld, the St. Louis ruling could set a powerful precedent, emboldening other Americans to challenge employer mandates. Surveys show public support for religious exemptions has nearly doubled since 2018, highlighting the fact that forced medical interventions remain deeply unpopular. For Brandon and her colleagues, the fight was never just about compensation. “The main thing was to show the district that what they did was wrong,” she said. With faith, persistence, and the Constitution on their side, these employees have struck a major victory for freedom, reminding the nation that no government or employer has the right to dictate matters of conscience. Sources for this article include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org STLToday.com Fox2Now.com

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