Washington Nationals Defend Firing Unvaccinated Pitching Staff

The Washington Nationals Baseball Club LLC acted legally when it fired a minor league pitching coach and coordinator for refusing to comply with its Covid vaccination policy, the club told a federal court.

The Nationals “lawfully denied” the requests for religious exemptions by Lawrence Pardo and Bradly Holman “after careful consideration and evaluation,” the club told the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday.

The claims are barred because Pardo and Holman “do not have sincerely held religious beliefs and/or do not subscribe to bona fide religious practices that conflict with” the team’s vaccination policy, the Nationals ...