Judge Rejects LAPD Officers’ Lawsuit Over Vaccine Mandate

A federal judge on Monday rejected a lawsuit by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers opposing the city’s coronavirus vaccine and testing rules.

The Los Angeles Times reports:

U.S. District Court Judge R. Gary Klausner said the 13 suing officers could reassert their claims of religious discrimination if they had any evidence to prove it — which he said they had so far failed to provide — but rejected outright their claims that the mandate violated their constitutional rights to privacy and due process and against unreasonable searches and seizures. […] The city mandate requires officers and other city employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or to be regularly tested if they are awaiting or have received a medical or religious exemption.

“Considering [the officers] are entrusted with public safety and have contractually consented to searches that are more invasive than those required by COVID tests, [they] undoubtedly have a reduced privacy interest here,”Klausner wrote, according to the Times.

A lawyer for the city of Los Angeles lauded the judge’s decision in a statement to the newspaper, saying it came at a “crucial times” as the number of Omicron coronavirus variant cases continue to rise across the United States. Mike Feuer stated:

With the Omicron variant raging, this victory for public health and safety — the fourth my office has secured — comes at an especially crucial time. With record numbers of COVID-19 cases each day, it is more important than ever that the first responders we trust to keep us safe comply with the vaccine mandate.

In a separate statement, Alex Comisar, who serves as a press representatives for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, said the mandate “has always been about protecting the health and safety of our workers and the public, and the mayor is pleased that the court has recognized that in its ruling.”

As of Monday, over 80 percent of LAPD and Los Angeles Fire Department personnel have been inoculated against the coronavirus.