NYC Gets Ex-Sanitation Worker’s Vaccine Bias Lawsuit Pared Back

New York City defeated a former sanitation worker’s disparate impact and First Amendment claims, but other religious bias allegations stemming from his firing for failure to comply with a Covid-19 vaccine requirement can move forward.

The worker didn’t show that religious city employees received worse treatment, and circuit precedent forecloses his free exercise clause claim, the US District Court for the Southern District of New York said. However, he sufficiently alleged that NYC failed to accommodate his religious beliefs or engage in cooperative dialogue as required under city law, the Tuesday opinion said.

Plaintiff Michael Rizzo sought an exemption ...