Today U.S. District Judge David Hurd, of the Northern District of New York, granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) effective September 27, 2021, which would block New York’s unconstitutional mandate that requires all healthcare workers in the state to receive the first dose of the covid shot by that date, without the option of requesting a religious exemption. Judge Hurd ruled that the NY Department of Health is “barred from enforcing any requirement that employers deny religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccination or that they revoke any exemptions employers already granted before the vaccine mandate issued.”
While this is a big day for freedom in New York and the nation, the battle is not over. Just this past Sunday a federal judge from the Eastern District of New York denied our application for a TRO and preliminary injunction, and we have already filed an appeal with the Second Circuit. The state has until September 22, 2021 to respond to Judge Hurd’s ruling, and we fully expect that they will appeal to the Second Circuit as well. That sets up a showdown in which our attorneys will be front and center, arguing to the Second Circuit that our motions never should have been denied, and that a TRO should remain in place to protect the NY healthcare workers. We will keep you updated on these legal developments as they unfold.
In the meantime, please consider a donation to our organization. We have to continue fighting not only for the NY healthcare workers, but for students and employees across the country. We thank you in advance for your generosity.