The U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 5 declined to hear a challenge by former Bellingham, Washington, first responders and city workers who lost their jobs after refusing the city's 2021 COVID-19 vaccine requirement. The decision leaves in place rulings by two lower federal courts that dismissed their lawsuit.
The case, Brock v. City of Bellingham, appeared on the Court's order list among petitions denied without comment. No justice noted a dissent. For the 18 former employees who brought the petition, the denial likely ends their federal case. The petition was filed Aug. 24, considered at the justices' Sept. 28 private conference, and denied a week later.
