The Supreme Court upholds the U.S. military's right to refuse to deploy Navy SEALS or other service members who won't get vaccinated for COVID for religious reasons.
The Supreme Court lifted part of a Texas judge’s order Friday and ruled 6-3 that the U.S. military may refuse to deploy Navy SEALS or other troops who have refused to be vaccinated for COVID-19, citing their religious beliefs.The decision is a victory for the Biden administration and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, who last year required all service personnel to be vaccinated. In November, the Pentagon said 99.4% of the troops were vaccinated.
In recent months, the justices stopped the federal government from enforcing vaccination mandates on all private employers, but they have allowed states, hospitals and school districts to require vaccinations for their own employees. He said some of them believed aborted fetal cells played a key role in developing the vaccine, while others cited “direct, divine instruction not to receive the vaccine.” He said these beliefs “are undisputedly sincere, and it is not the role of this court to determine their truthfulness or accuracy.”
She cited the testimony of Adm. William K. Lescher, vice chief of Naval Operations and the second-highest uniformed officer in the Navy, who said the illness of “even one member” of a small SEAL team due to COVID-19 could “compromise the mission.”
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