Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

NBA is sued by fired referees who refused COVID vaccines

Published 11/14/2022, 02:31 PM
Updated 11/14/2022, 02:36 PM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The NBA logo is displayed as people pass by the NBA Store in New York City, U.S., October 7, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The NBA logo is displayed as people pass by the NBA Store in New York City, U.S., October 7, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The National Basketball Association has been sued by three longtime referees who say the league fired them this year after they refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19 over religious objections.

In a complaint filed on Saturday in Manhattan federal court, Kenny Mauer, Mark Ayotte and Jason Phillips said the league improperly forced compliance with its "hygienic norms," and wrongly concluded that their sincere religious objections fell short of its "high standard" against being vaccinated.

The plaintiffs said the NBA's "jab or job ultimatum" led to their suspensions for the 2021-2022 season, when the league required COVID vaccinations for all employees other than players.

They said the league refused to reinstate them despite lifting the vaccine requirement for the 2022-2023 season, consistent with the ban on vaccine mandates under its new seven-year collective bargaining agreement with referees.

"Had the NBA not taken upon itself to force faith-based conscientious objectors to adhere to secular norms, none of plaintiffs' complained-of injuries would have manifested," the complaint said. "In sum: Plaintiffs were persecuted."

The NBA and the former referees' lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mauer and Ayotte said they were NBA referees for 35 years and 17 years, respectively, before being suspended, while Phillips was a referee for 19 years before becoming vice president of referee operations and a replay center principal.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The NBA logo is displayed as people pass by the NBA Store in New York City, U.S., October 7, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

The lawsuit accuses the NBA of violating federal civil rights law and New York state and city human rights laws. It seeks front and back pay, punitive damages, and damages for reputational harm and for pain and suffering.

The complaint is Ayotte v National Basketball Association et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 22-09666.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.