The University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine has reached a $10.3 million settlement in a lawsuit regarding its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which was found to have violated the First Amendment rights of certain students and employees seeking religious exemptions.
• The lawsuit originally challenged the school’s vaccine mandate, which was deemed discriminatory against individuals requesting religious accommodations.
• The 10th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the school, stating that the officials involved had violated "clearly established" rights, leading to their personal liability.
• As part of the settlement, the university agreed to pay a total of $10.3 million, including damages, tuition reimbursements, and attorney's fees.
• The breakdown of costs indicates that $1 million of the settlement was allocated for attorney’s fees, leaving the remaining amount for other claims.
• The court criticized the initial vaccine policy for not being neutral towards religious exemptions and noted its discriminatory nature.
• Moving forward, the university will allow students to request religious exemptions on the same terms as employees and will give equal consideration to these requests.
• Despite the settlement, the university stands by its previous mandate, claiming it was necessary for public health and safety during the pandemic.
The settlement marks a significant event in the legal battles surrounding COVID-19 vaccine mandates, emphasizing the importance of religious rights within educational institutions. As the University of Colorado Anschutz modifies its approach to vaccine exemptions, it maintains that its original policies were justified based on public health grounds, despite acknowledging the court's ruling against those policies.
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