Former officer sues San Francisco over vaccine mandate

San Francisco sued over refusing COVID-19 vaccine exemption
Former officer Joel Alyworth said the city denied his religious exemption
Alyworth said the vaccine is against his religious beliefs

Updated: Mar 13, 2023 / 10:13 AM CDT

(NewsNation) — More than 100 former employees of the city of San Francisco are suing over vaccine mandates that led to them losing their jobs.

Joel Alyworth is a former San Francisco police officer who said he was initially given a religious exemption from the department’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. But after a review, the exemption was denied.

“We do not believe in putting biological substances in our body,” Alyworth, who identifies as Christian, told NewsNation.

He claims paperwork regarding his separation referred to him as a “direct threat” for refusing to get vaccinated. Alyworth also pointed to his work as an essential employee in the early days of the pandemic, before a vaccine was available.

“People were getting sick, they were in administrative positions, and they came out to the field, they did exactly what I did, and they got sick with COVID,” he said.

Alyworth said the city should have given him the option for testing or masking rather than mandating the vaccine.