A group of eight Snohomish County firefighters is asking the US Supreme Court to step in after lower courts ruled their employer did not violate their religious rights during the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Attorneys for the firefighters filed a petition with the nation’s highest court this week, seeking to overturn a decision that upheld Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue’s actions in placing them on unpaid leave in 2021.
The dispute centers on the statewide vaccine requirement for healthcare workers issued by then-Gov. Jay Inslee, which allowed for religious exemptions but did not require employers to grant them if doing so created an undue hardship.
In September 2025, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed an earlier ruling in favor of the fire agency, finding it had legitimate concerns about accommodating unvaccinated personnel.
“SRFR showed that it faced several substantial costs of accommodating the firefighters’ requested vaccine exemption, including the health and safety of its own firefighters and the public,” the court wrote in its opinion. The ruling also cited risks to operations, potential staffing shortages, and possible financial and legal consequences.
The firefighters had requested religious accommodations under federal protections, including Title VII, which allows exemptions for sincerely held beliefs unless they impose significant hardship on an employer.
David Petersen, the lead plaintiff, said the group followed the process outlined in the governor’s proclamation by seeking accommodations rather than refusing outright.
Their attorney, Jennifer Kennedy, argued the firefighters had worked safely for months during the pandemic and did not suddenly become a risk when the mandate took effect.
After losing at the appellate level, the group vowed to continue the fight. On Monday, their legal team confirmed the case had been formally petitioned to the Supreme Court.
“Employers must accommodate their employees’ religious beliefs unless the accommodation would actually impose an undue hardship,” attorney Lisa Blatt said in a statement. “Allowing an employer to refuse accommodations based on a mistaken belief… denies employees their rights.”
Kennedy said the case could have broader implications beyond the eight firefighters.
“We’re fighting to secure the religious freedom that every employee in America deserves,” she said.
The Supreme Court had not said whether it would take the case as of press time.
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