The Air Force improperly adjudicated requests for exemptions to its COVID-19 vaccine mandate and has illegally only handed out exemptions to members who are on their way out, an appeals court said on Nov. 29 as it rejected the military branch’s bid to lift an injunction against punishing thousands of unvaccinated members.
Eighteen members brought the suit in February, alleging the military was violating the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act by denying exemptions for members despite the members holding sincere religious beliefs against COVID-19 vaccination.
A federal judge imposed a preliminary injunction in July, ordering the branch not to discipline any unvaccinated members who have sought religious accommodation….