Massachusetts Court Rules Steamship Authority Can Require Employees To Have COVID Vaccine
FALMOUTH (CBS) – A Massachusetts court has ruled that the SteamShip Authority can require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Employees brought a lawsuit against the Authority after their request for a religious exemption was denied saying the requirement violated their right to freedom of religion and their right to personal autonomy.
The court denied the injunction, ruling, "At the outset, the record suggests that plaintiffs' opposition to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is based primarily on 'philosophical, medical, or scientific beliefs, or personal fears or anxieties rather than bona fide religious practices."
The Authority, which required employees to be fully vaccinated by February 15 and did allow exemptions based on religious and medical grounds, said the employees' requests would "unreasonably risk" the health and safety of other employees and customers and "undermine public trust and confidence in the safety of the Authority's facilities and vessels."
The company, which provides transportation to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, said it "services members from all walks of life, including young children, elderly individuals[,] and the immunocompromised."
The court determined that exempting the employees would cause an undue hardship on the Authority.
"The danger to the public is not the vaccine but persons who, like the plaintiffs, insist on behaviors that endanger all those with whom they have contact."
