Photo: APU GOMES / AFP / Getty Images
Monday, September 30
COVID-19: LAFD elements that sued the city for vaccine mandate gave affidavits to the City Attorney
Two elements of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) who filed a lawsuit for the vaccination ordinance for municipal workers, on Thursday offered sworn statements before the Prosecutor’s Office in support of their positions prior to a hearing scheduled for on Monday about your request for a preliminary injunction.
September 19 , the lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by the non-profit organization Firefighters4Freedom Foundation.
They argued that Los Angeles city officials violated their constitutionally protected rights to privacy .
The lawsuit asks Judge Michael P. Linfield to grant a court order q that prevents the city from firing city firefighters, or taking any other adverse employment action that may lead to dismissal , without first providing a hearing before an impartial officer .
“I do not want to receive the vaccine and I have no intention of doing so,” he said. Battalion Chief Robert L. Kilpartrick, Veteran LAFD.
“I have personal and medical reasons for making my decision and I believe that I have the right to privacy under the California Constitution to make those decisions myself. I believe that the forced disclosure of my personal health information violates my right to privacy. ”
The battalion chief said that from the 12 November was put on leave without pay .
” I have a family and I can’t afford to wait that long without pay. I will be forced to quit my job and give up the protections I earned while serving the people of the City of Los Angeles, ”said Kilpatrick.
More than 130 firefighters on leave without pay
Mark Muus, LAFD Fire Engineer with 15 years of experience and co-founder of Firefighters4Freedom, expressed in his statement that was one of more than 130 firefighters placed on leave without pay on December 9 for refusing to be vaccinated
“Aside from the recent discipline I received for refusing the vaccine, I have not been penalized for any crime as an employee of the Los Angeles City Fire Department. As such, I have no other discipline history, ”said Muus.
According to the engineer, Firefighters4Freedom has more than 900 members. He said that he and his unvaccinated colleagues have not heard when they might receive due process hearings.
“In my conversations with other city firefighters of Los Angeles, many unvaccinated elements are working every day, some requested and received religious or medical exemptions to the vaccine and another were simply lucky and were not given an administrative license, ”said Muus.
The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office offered several affidavits in rebuttal , including that of Battalion Chief Scott Quinn, commander of LAFD’s risk management section. Oversees LAFD data collection of items infected by COVID – 19 and measures taken in support of safer work environments.
From the 15 March 2020 to 8 December 2021, 1, 134 LAFD elements have tested positive for coronaviru s, according to Quinn.
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