In a recent case, Mass General Brigham (MGB), a renowned hospital network in Massachusetts, won against six plaintiffs in an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) related dispute. The plaintiffs alleged that MGB violated their rights under the ADA and Civil Rights Act Title VII when it denied their requests for medical exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccination, a mandate introduced by the hospital system in June 2021. Their requests were among the over 2,400 exemption applications filed by MGB employees after the implementation of the mandate, only 234 of which were approved. Yet, the district judge concluded that the plaintiffs failed to legally denote a disability in their charge. More details can be found via Law.com.
US District Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV deliberated both high-level judgements, which involved the decision to implement the vaccination mandate and the associated circumstances for potential exemptions, and more individualized judgements, concerning whether a specific employee satisfied the exemptions criteria. In his decision, Judge Saylor underscored the juxtaposition of these complex, bureaucratic decisions in the case. What the ruling signals, then, is both the gravity of the ongoing legal disputes with regards to vaccination mandates, as well as a further solidification of these mandates. According to legal proceedings, MGB’s decision to require vaccinations with medical or religious exceptions is supported by both disability and civil rights law. For the full transcript of Judge Saylor’s decision, the court’s September 28 order is accessible here.