A federal judge in Texas on Saturday dismissed a lawsuit by healthcare workers who accused their employer of “unlawfully forcing its employees” to receive the COVID vaccine.
Jennifer Bridges and 116 other plaintiffs said Houston Methodist Hospital is forcing employees to get COVID vaccines that are “experimental and dangerous.” Firing employees for refusing the vaccine is “wrongful termination,” the plaintiffs said.
The hospital last week suspended nearly 200 employees who refused the vaccine.
U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes ruled Texas law only protects employees from being fired if they are asked to commit an illegal act that carries criminal penalties. According to the judge’s ruling, “receiving a COVID-19 vaccination is not an illegal act, and it carries no criminal penalties.”
The plaintiffs argued requiring employees to get the COVID vaccine violates federal law because the vaccines have not received full approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are still Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) products.
Hughes dismissed this claim, saying the law authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to roll out “medical products intended for use in an emergency.”
Hughes said:
“[The law] confers certain powers and responsibilities to the Secretary of Health and Human Services in an emergency. It neither expands nor restricts the responsibilities of private employers; in fact, it does not apply at all to private employers like the hospital in this case. It does not confer a private opportunity to sue the government, employer, or worker.”
In his ruling, Hughes said, claims that the vaccines are dangerous are “false, and it is also irrelevant.”
The ruling means employees of the Texas hospital must provide proof of being vaccinated for COVID or lose their job.
How Will You Cook If the Grid Goes Down This Winter? These Gosun Solar Ovens are marketed as great for camping, but we see them as potential life-savers during an extended gas/electric grid outage.
Mary Holland, Children’s Health Defense president and general counsel, said the decision is “disappointing” and “there are grounds for an appeal.”
Holland said:
“I think the judge has misinterpreted federal law and does not fully understand the true implications of Emergency Use Authorization status. Because EUA means the product is experimental, you can’t be forced to take it. No employer can mandate the COVID vaccine while it remains under EUA.”
Jared Woodfill, an attorney representing Bridges and other plaintiffs, said his clients are “committed to fighting this unjust policy.”
Woodfill told Fox News, Houston Methodist is using COVID vaccine mandates to promote profits. The hospital is trying to convince patients to leave their healthcare provider and come to Houston Methodist because all of its employees are vaccinated, said Woodfill.
“The problem with that line of thinking,” said Woodfill, “is that you’re telling the hospital’s employees they are going to be human guinea pigs.”
For the plaintiffs, “this is a question of being able to pay their house notes, pay their car notes, provide for their families and avoid bankruptcy,” said Woodfill. “It’s just plain wrong.”
Dr. Marc Boom, CEO and president of Houston Methodist, said in a statement:
“…99 percent of Houston Methodist’s 26,000 employees have met the requirements for the vaccination mandate. It is unfortunate that the few remaining employees who refuse to get vaccinated and put our patients first are responding in this way.”
© 2021 Children’s Health Defense, Inc. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of Children’s Health Defense, Inc. Want to learn more from Children’s Health Defense? Sign up for free news and updates from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the Children’s Health Defense. Your donation will help to support us in our efforts.
New Conservative Network Seeks Crowdfunding Help
They say we have to go big or go home. We’re trying to go big and bring the patriotic truth the the nation, but we need help.
Readers may or may not realize that over the past year, we’ve been bringing more conservative news and opinion outlets under our wing. Don’t take our expansion as a sign of riches; all of the “acquisitions” have been through sweat and promises of greater things to come for all involved. As a result, we’ve been able to bring together several independent media sites under a unified vision of preventing America from succumbing to the progressive, “woke,” Neo-Marxist ideologies that are spreading like wildfire across America.
The slow and steady reopening of America is revealing there was a lot more economic hardship brought about from the Covd-19 lockdowns than most realize. While we continue to hope advertising dollars on the sites go up, it’s simply not enough to do things the right way. We are currently experiencing a gap between revenue and expenses that cannot be overcome by click-ads and MyPillow promos alone (promo code “NOQ” by the way).
If society collapses, do you have the medical supplies you need? Check out “The Medic,” or as I like to call it, the Big Daddy of first aid kits.
To overcome our revenue gap and keep these sites running, our needs fluctuate between $3000-$7000 per month. In other words, we’re in the red and hemorrhaging.
The best way you can help us grow and continue to bring the truth to the people is by donating. We appreciate everything, whether a dollar or $10,000. Anything brings us closer to a point of stability when we can hire writers, editors, and support staff to make the America First message louder. Our Giving Fuel page makes it easy to donate one-time or monthly. Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal as well.
As the world spirals towards radical progressivism, the need for truthful journalism has never been greater. But in these times, we need as many conservative media voices as possible. Please help keep NOQ Report and the other sites in the network going.
Thank you and God Bless,
JD Rucker
Bitcoin: 32SeW2Ajn86g4dATWtWreABhEkiqxsKUGn
They’re Trying to Shut Us Down
Over the last several months, I’ve lost count of how many times the powers-that-be have tried to shut us down. They’ve sent hackers at us, forcing us to take extreme measures on web security. They sent attorneys after us, but thankfully we’re not easily intimidated by baseless accusations or threats. They’ve even gone so far as to make physical threats. Those can actually be a bit worrisome but Remington has me covered.
For us to continue to deliver the truth that Americans need to read and hear, we ask you, our amazing audience, for financial assistance. We have a Giving Fuel page to help us pay the bills. It’s brand new so don’t be discouraged by the lack of donations there. It’s a funny reality that the fewer the donations that have been made, the less likely people are willing to donate to it. One would think this is counterintuitive, but sometimes people are skeptical because they think that perhaps there’s a reason others haven’t been donating. In our situation, we’re just getting started so please don’t be shy if you have the means to help.
Thank you and God bless!
JD Rucker
Covid variant BA.5 is spreading. It appears milder but much more contagious and evades natural immunity. Best to boost your immune system with new Z-Dtox and Z-Stack nutraceuticals from our dear friend, the late Dr. Vladimir Zelenko.
