A religious freedom advocate based in Texas has sent an amicus brief to the United States Supreme Court in support of the Navy SEALS who have sought protection against President Joe Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
First Liberty announced on Friday the filing of the amicus brief that requests the Supreme Court to reject the appeal filed by the Biden Administration against the Navy SEALS.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth District ruled early this month against the motion to remove the block on the vaccine mandate for the Navy SEALS. The Department of Defense requested the motion to remove the block sought by 35 Navy personnel against the vaccine mandate. The service members complained that the department refused to honor the religious exemption they applied in line with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
The lawsuit was originally filed at the U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas, whose presiding justice, Judge O'Connor, approved a preliminary injunction in favor of the Navy personnel.
First Liberty raised that the amicus brief opposes the government's continuous punishment of religious service members. They highlighted the government's disdain against the religious beliefs of service members, which happened to be protected by the United States Constitution.
"Our clients' religious accommodation requests have been denied without being given the proper consideration required by law. What's more, some military officials continue to discriminate and threaten their careers, livelihoods and even their families," First Liberty said in a statement.
The legal organization raised that the courts have already acted in favor of their clients, which affirms that there is no exemption when it comes to the application of the Constitution regardless of the pandemic or the recipient being in the military. The nonprofit also reminded that the courts have already ordered the government "to back off while the case is being considered."
"It is our hope that the Supreme Court will also reject the administration's punitive approach and respect the religious liberty of our clients," First Liberty stressed.
According to the organization, the case of the Navy SEALS in the United States Supreme Court is the third of its kind that they are handling. The other cases involve a coach, Joe Kennedy, who was prohibited from praying in a public school. The final case involves the state of Maine, which banned families funded by their student-aid program to send their children to religious schools.
Kennedy, who was the head coach of The Bremerton School District before he got fired in 2015 for professing his faith, has been battling for his religious rights for years now. Kennedy has taken the case to the Supreme Court last September in the hope that the religious freedom of Americans would be protected by the court. The Supreme Court accepted his plea to review the case after the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit declined to do so last July.
Early this month, Kennedy received support from several National Football League celebrities like Darrel Green, Nick Fowles, Lou Holtz, and Tommy Bowden. Kennedy's case has received various amicus briefs from organizations besides the support of 60 state legislators, 56 United States Representatives, 27 state attorney generals, and six former United States attorneys generals.
