Bay Area Transit Agency Can’t Cut $7.8 Million Vaccine Verdict

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District lost its bid to toss out a $7.8 million jury verdict finding that the transit agency discriminated against six employees who refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine for religious reasons.

Judge William A. Alsup on Monday denied BART’s post-trial motion to undue the verdict, and also denied the agency’s motion to hold a new trial.

Alsup rejected BART’s argument that it provided “undisputed” evidence that it couldn’t reasonably accommodate the religious employees who refused to comply with the agency’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate implemented in 2021.

But the judge, who sits on the ...