Coast Guard Vaccine Lawsuit Sets Stage for Future Religious Accommodations

According to the Human Resources Director, a recent decision in a workplace discrimination lawsuit has “shaken up” rules regarding vaccines and religious accommodations. This lawsuit involved over one thousand Coast Guardsmen who alleged that they had been unfairly denied benefits and protections due to their refusal to accept the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Specifically, the court denied an attempt to certify a class action lawsuit based on this alleged workplace discrimination. What does this tell us about religious accommodations for American workers in the future? 

Coast Guard Reverses Course on Vaccine Mandates

In January of 2025, the incoming president signed an executive order forcing all branches of the military to reinstate service members who had been discharged due to their refusal to accept the COVID-19 vaccine. Military.com immediately noted that these service members were already free to return to service, and this freedom had existed since 2023. What made this executive order distinct is the promise of compensation in the form of back pay. 

The problem was that the new administration did not specify how this back pay should be handled. The administration also failed to provide military branches with the necessary funds to pay these wages. Even with the offer of back pay, only 13 service members had returned to their branches by the summer of 2025. None were Coast Guardsmen, and all were previously serving with the Army. Of the approximately 8,000 service members who refused the vaccine, the vast majority did so on religious grounds. 

After the president signed the executive order, the Coast Guard reversed course. The branch rescinded its prior vaccine mandate and offered all affected Coast Guardsmen to submit “administrative claims” for relief. 

Coast Guard Members File Class Action Lawsuit

These Coast Guard members then organized and decided to file a class action lawsuit. In October of 2025, the court refused to certify the class action, claiming that it lacked commonality among claimants. In other words, the Coast Guardsmen did not have enough in common with each other to justify a class action lawsuit. At first glance, this seems like a strange decision. After all, all of the Coast Guardsmen were discharged for the same reason: They refused to take the COVID-19 vaccination. 

The court may have concluded that some of the plaintiffs refused the vaccine on religious grounds, while others refused to take the shot on purely constitutional grounds. If this is the case, the court’s decision could be more understandable. In any case, the decision on the certification of the class action is not final, and the case is ongoing. 

So why is this case so important in regard to workplace discrimination and religious rights in the United States? Human Resources Dictator states that the outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications, not just in the military but across all workplaces and sectors in the United States. In particular, the final decision on this case could set the tone for future large-scale claims against specific employers by thousands of employees.

The Goal of the Universal Life Church’s Blog

Each month, various lawsuits test the nature of religious rights in this country. While the basis for many religious rights is the United States Constitution, there are still countless cases that question the exact nature of these rights. The Universal Life Church’s blog is focused on documenting the most noteworthy of these cases in an objective manner that can be easily understood by readers.