Government contractors and members of the military reportedly filed a class-action lawsuit against President Joe Biden's vaccination mandate for the United States Department of Defense.
CBN News said a class-action lawsuit coupled with a motion for a temporary restraining order and injunction was filed by Liberty Counsel in behalf of the Department of Defense contractors and United States service men. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court Middle District of Florida on Friday against Biden, the Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
The U.S. service men involve members of the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines, and Navy along with other government employees and civilian contractors who detest the unlawful mandate to be vaccinated against the threat of being terminated from employment or discharged from the military. All in all, there are a total of 14 U.S. military members represented in the lawsuit that include high ranking officials.
NOQ Report explained that the lawsuit was filed out of the COVID-19 vaccination mandate's contradiction of the plaintiff's religious beliefs after being "refused any religious exemption or accommodation" from it.
"Plaintiffs have demonstrated their commitments to the United States Constitution and the Nation's future comfort, security, and prosperity. This Court should demand that the Nation return the favor. Telling Plaintiffs they must accept or receive a shot they oppose according to their sincerely held religious beliefs, or face court martial, dishonorable discharge, and other life altering disciplinary measures, disgraces the sacrifices these heroes have made," Liberty Counsel raised in the lawsuit.
Besides restrictions on religious exemptions, the lawsuit cited experiences of intimidation, coercion, censorship and bullying experienced by members of the military when orders to be vaccinated have been opposed. A Navy chaplain provided a sworn statement that is part of the lawsuit that speaks of such intimidation. The chaplain raised that suicide of personnel poses a bigger threat than COVID-19 yet military commanders are not doing anything about it.
"I personally observed (and the Sailors told me in the course of counseling about) tremendous amounts of coercion, bullying, censorship, and intimidation being brought forth by the command to bear against the personnel who expressed objections of any kind to the COVID shot mandates, including religious objections," the chaplain said.
"And clearly, the military has lost more lives to the increase in suicide from 2020-2021 (at least 1,012) than to all of COVID in 2 years (52), but suicide has not been a focus," he added.
The 405-page lawsuit said the vaccination mandates imposed on the military men involved "pressure and abuse" that "are intense" wherein "disciplinary actions have already commenced for some."
"Relief is needed now to prevent these military heroes, federal employees, and federal contractors from facing punishments including dishonorable discharge, court martial, and other life-altering disciplinary procedures, and termination," the lawsuit pointed out.
Liberty Counsel Chairman Mat Staver underscored in a statement that Biden had "no authority" to require the COVID-19 vaccination on the premise that religious freedom can not be used as an exemption for it.
"The Biden administration has no authority to require the COVID shots for the military or for federal employees or civilian contractors. Nor can the Biden administration pretend that the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the First Amendment do not apply to its unlawful mandates. The Commander-in-Chief must end this shameful treatment and abuse of our brave military heroes. Forcing the COVID shots without consent or consideration for their sincere religious beliefs is illegal," Staver said.
