‘9-1-1’ Actor’s Religious Discrimination Lawsuit Over Vaccine Firing Goes to Trial

Actor Rockmond Dunbar attends the FYC Event for Fox's "9-1-1" at Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, Calif., on June 4, 2018. Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images

Rockmond Dunbar, who starred in the hit drama series “9-1-1” for five seasons, has issued a statement thanking God after a federal judge granted him a trial two years after he filed a religious discrimination lawsuit against the Disney-owned 20th Television.

The actor—a Church of Universal Wisdom follower—alleged he was denied a vaccine exemption and subsequently fired from his role on the show after he refused to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

“It took 2.5 yrs of being attacked publicly and privately, judged, defamed, and lied on simply for daring to follow MY religion and God’s direction for MY life,” he captioned in an Instagram post published on Sunday.

“Millions in legal costs just to get my rightful day in court. I’ve lost jobs, associates and ‘fans’ but what I’ve never lost is my FAITH and FAMILY,” Mr. Dunbar continued. “Lies run sprints but the truth runs marathons. And I’m still standing. Stronger. Healthy. [sic] with my soul and integrity intact.”

“And despite this nightmare me and my family have weathered, I would make the same choice again bc [sic] nothing and no one on this Earth is or will ever be greater than The Most High,” the actor said. “I thank God for choosing me to see clearly and live fearlessly in my faith bc when all you have is money you will most definitely die broke and broken.”

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee announced the case would head to trial, stating “the Court grants the MSJ as to all of Dunbar’s claims except the Title VII claim for failure to provide religious accommodations,” per Deadline.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act “protects employees and job applicants from employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.” The legal protection also covers “the full spectrum of employment decisions, including recruitment, selections, terminations, and other decisions concerning terms and conditions of employment.”

The trial will gauge whether Mr. Dunbar had a sincerely held religious belief within the meaning of the legal protections and whether reasonable accommodations could have been offered by the television production company that would have allowed him to continue his role on “9-1-1.”

The Epoch Times reached out to 20th Television for comment.

Religious Discrimination

According to court documents, provided by Deadline, Mr. Dunbar’s employer implemented a vaccine policy in September 2021, which stipulated that “certain employees” had to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 18 of that year.

Mr. Dunbar’s agents submitted requests for religious and medical exemptions on Oct. 4, citing the actor’s religious beliefs and “an unspecified medical disability” that his doctors warned would not be compatible with the vaccine.

Founded in the mid-1970s, the Church of Universal Wisdom believes “that it is a sacrilege to ingest medication, chemicals, or other foreign matters that ‘defy natural law.’”

The actor was ultimately denied both accommodations and terminated on Nov. 10.

“My sincerely held beliefs and private medical history are very intimate and personal aspects of my life that I do not publicly discuss and have no desire to start now,” Mr. Dunbar told Deadline in November 2021. “I’ve been an actor in this business for 30 years, but my greatest roles are as a husband and father to our four small children. As a man that walks in faith, I look forward to what the future holds.”

Mr. Dunbar went on to file a lawsuit against The Walt Disney Company in February 2022.

The lawsuit was subsequently curtailed in November of that year after Judge Gee tossed several claims, including the argument that the vaccine policy had a “disparate impact on Mr. Dunbar by forcing him to either abandon his religious obligation or forego [sic] employment.” However, the actor’s allegations of religious discrimination, retaliation, and breach of contract, among others, still withstood.

In a statement, 20th Television said, “To ensure safe working environments at our productions we have implemented a mandatory vaccination confirmation process,” per Variety.

“While we will not comment on any one individual, each request for exemption is given a thorough review and we grant accommodations consistent with our legal obligations,” the statement continues. “There are no differences in our process or decision-making based on an employee’s race.”

COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

Mr. Dunbar’s forthcoming trial follows a February ruling by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge that ABC must face religious discrimination claims filed by two former “General Hospital” crew members—James Wahl and his son, Timothy.

The Wahls—who worked in the show’s construction and special effects department—sued the network in 2021 over claims that they were wrongfully terminated over their refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccination due to their religious beliefs.

“These actions were unlawful. ABC does not have the authority to force a medical treatment on its employees against their will,” the complaint read, per The Hollywood Reporter.

“Even if it did, it must offer religious exemptions to anybody who requests one. It cannot discriminate among religions and cannot second-guess the sincerity of one’s religious beliefs without an objective basis for doing so,” the filing continued. “It did not have one here. ABC’s actions constitute religious discrimination and violate Plaintiffs’ rights under state law.”

The Epoch Times reached out to ABC for comment.