Scott Carlson, a former lieutenant with the Redmond Fire Department in Washington, says he lost his career after the city refused his request for a religious exemption to the COVID‑19 vaccine mandate. Carlson, who helped respond to the pandemic’s first patients, told Fox News Digital that his unit worked 18 months with “zero cross‑contaminations” before the mandate was imposed.
Legal battle over religious accommodation
In 2021 Carlson applied for a religious exemption, stating he needed to prove his faith was sincere. He says the city’s mayor, Angela Birney, denied the request ten days later and terminated him and other firefighters who sought the exemption. Carlson filed a federal lawsuit on Dec. 8, 2022, alleging violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for failing to accommodate his religious beliefs and for retaliation.
The suit was later amended to include additional firefighters after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission granted them the right to sue. A district court ruled in Dec. 2025 that the city had not violated the law, a decision the firefighters are now appealing to the Ninth Circuit.
Attorney’s claims
First Liberty Institute, representing the eight firefighters, says the city initially granted exemptions but revoked them after an executive order from the mayor. Their attorney, Cliff Martin, argues the city had available positions that did not require vaccination but concealed them, filling those roles with vaccinated firefighters instead.
Martin told Fox News Digital, “No employee should have to choose between their faith and their job here.” He says the appeal raises fundamental questions about employers’ obligations to consider religious accommodations.
City’s response
A spokesperson for the City of Redmond declined to comment on pending litigation, stating the matter will be addressed through appropriate legal channels. The mayor’s office similarly limited its comment to the city’s official statement.
Impact on the community
Carlson described firefighting as a calling that allowed him to serve his community and his faith. Losing his position, he said, felt like a “heart divided” between his love for Jesus and his livelihood. He hopes the appellate court will recognize the religious discrimination he and his colleagues faced.
The case highlights ongoing tensions between public‑health mandates and religious liberty, a concern for many faith‑based workers across the nation.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
