SPOKANE, Wash. — More than five years after 25 Spokane firefighters were terminated for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, the lawsuit stemming from their firings continues to consume hundreds of thousands of dollars in city resources while the case remains unresolved.
The firefighters claim they were wrongfully terminated despite having religious exemptions to the vaccine mandate. They also argue that firefighters from neighboring agencies who received exemptions were allowed to respond to calls within Spokane anyway, creating an inconsistent application of the policy.
“When that’s kind of ingrained in the culture of the fire department, that the people in the fire department are the key to our success. And then to be just told, ‘Well, but not you people because you have a religious exemption’ — that’s betrayal,” said Jhar Fuller, one of the 25 firefighters suing the city.
The case has been marked by legal setbacks and delays. It was originally dismissed but later appealed by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Now, with a trial scheduled to begin in March 2027, both the plaintiffs and the city’s legal team have filed motions asking the judge to rule on the federal case before trial, potentially ending the dispute without going to court.
Arguments on those motions are set for September 15.
The financial toll on the city has been substantial. The City of Spokane has spent $885,000 in legal fees fighting the lawsuit. In a recent decision, the city approved an additional $200,000 to its legal team to continue the defense.
“That is a little frustrating because we see, like, as city employees where money could be spent to better serve the citizens,” Fuller said. “And so it sounds like $885,000 is being spent to fight this suit when it would have cost way less just to accommodate us in the first place.”
The terminations occurred in October 2021, during the height of the pandemic when many employers and government agencies implemented vaccine mandates. The firefighters argue that their religious exemptions should have protected them from termination, and that the city’s handling of the mandate was inconsistent with how other agencies in the region applied their policies.
The case names the City of Spokane, former Mayor David Condon, former Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer, former Governor Jay Inslee, and former Attorney General Bob Ferguson as defendants.
When contacted for comment, the City of Spokane declined to provide a statement about the ongoing litigation or the recent motion filings.
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