SCOTUS Justice Sotomayor rejects NYC detective’s request to block COVID-19 vaccine mandate
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – A New York City Police Department detective may yet lose his job for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine after US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Monday rejected his request for an emergency injunction that would prevent the city from firing him, the Associated Press reports.
Sotomayor made no comment on her decision.
Still on active duty, NYC Detective Anthony Marciano appealed to Sotomayor after being told he does not qualify for a medical or religious exemption from the vaccine which is mandated for municipal employees, AP said. NYC established its vaccine mandate in December 2021.
Marciano filed suit at the state level in December, and it was dismissed in March, AP said. The case was moved to the Manhattan federal court, where the case is pending. Meanwhile, Marciano appealed to Sotomayor, who oversees emergency appeals in New York.
The NYPD said in a statement that it is content with Sotomayor’s ruling, Marciano’s lawyer Patricia Finn said her client will appeal to the entire Supreme Court for a review of the matter.
The Supreme Court blocked the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate for large businesses in January, but has permitted a federal vaccine requirement for healthcare facilities, the Washington Examiner noted.
