Actor Rockmond Dunbar heads to trial over COVID vaccine

Los Angeles [US], October 14 (ANI): '9-1-1' actor Rockmond is scheduled to go on trial Tuesday over his allegation that he was terminated from the project for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine due to his religious beliefs.
Dunbar's character, Michael Grant, was written off the show in November 2021, a month after studios began requiring COVID-19 vaccines for actors and others on set, as per Variety.
Dunbar asserts that he is a member of the Congregation of Universal Wisdom, which holds that it is sinful to inject chemicals that "defy natural law."
Disney's 20th Television argues that Dunbar came up with a phony religious excuse to avoid complying with the vaccine mandate. During pre-trial investigation, the company's lawyers discovered that Dunbar had taken other drugs, including steroids for shoulder pain, and had been getting regular injections of synthetic testosterone from "The Man Clinic" since 2018.
The trial serves as a vivid reminder of the COVID times, when Hollywood unions negotiated intricate safety protocols, including frequent testing and varying distancing and masking rules for different production zones.
Many had long since grown tired of the rules by the time they were discarded in 2023.
At trial, Disney's lawyers will seek to avoid re-litigating the COVID protocols. According to an exhibit prepared for jurors, they will say that they respect Dunbar's personal choice. But the issue, they will argue, is whether that choice arose from a sincere religious belief.
Under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers are required to make reasonable accommodations for employees' religious practices, as per Variety.
The Congregation of Universal Wisdom was founded by Dr. Walter Schilling, a New Jersey chiropractor, in 1975. Members have long used the church's teachings to avoid school vaccination requirements.
Schilling, 82, was expected to testify at the trial, but recently indicated he is too ill to travel to Los Angeles. Instead, his depositions are expected to be played for the jury.
Schilling testified that the church does not have a place of worship or regular meetings. Members can join by submitting an application and paying the required fee.
"A lot of people in the general public hold our beliefs, but then they don't have a place to go to verify those beliefs," Schilling said. "So what has happened when they started mandating things? It incentivized people to actually join the church."
He also said that it would be "sacrilege" to inject oneself with synthetic testosterone, or any other prescription drug.
Dunbar's lawyers have argued that the actor holds a "nuanced" set of beliefs that melds CUW with the teachings of Buddhism and African Yoruba faith.
"Since at least 2014, Plaintiff has held sincere religious beliefs that prevent him from receiving vaccines because he believes they will tether his soul to earth, thereby preventing him from ascending to be with God after his death," his attorneys argued in a pre-trial memo.
Dunbar and his wife, Maya, are also expected to testify, as is "9-1-1" showrunner Tim Minear. (ANI)