A jury on Friday dismissed the claims of Rockmond Dunbar, an actor from “9-1-1”, stating that he was wrongfully terminated due to his religious opposition to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
The eight-member federal jury reached a unanimous decision in favor of 20th Television, a division of Disney. Upon hearing the verdict, Dunbar was visibly upset, placing his head in his hands.
“Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!” he exclaimed, turning to his family in the gallery. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. We’ll get through this.”
Dunbar filed his lawsuit in 2022, claiming that the production company did not accommodate his religious beliefs, which come from the Congregation of Universal Wisdom that opposes vaccines and similar medical practices.
Dunbar’s character, Michael Grant, was removed from the series in 2021 after the introduction of a vaccine requirement for actors and crew. During a trial in Los Angeles that lasted four days, Dunbar shared his belief that the COVID vaccine is harmful and contradicts divine teachings.
“Humans engineered the COVID-19 vaccine to sever your connection with God,” he declared. “This is a spiritual battle—a confrontation of good against evil. I chose to stand with God and goodness.”
Counsel for Disney, led by Maria Rodriguez from McDermott Will & Schulte, questioned Dunbar’s credibility. She pointed out that he regularly takes synthetic testosterone and anastrozole—substances that the leader of his faith labeled as “sacrilegious.”
While testifying, Dunbar conceded that he is not “perfect.” In closing arguments, Rodriguez displayed a list detailing 37 medications Dunbar had used.
“This deviates significantly from perfection,” she argued, emphasizing the distance from true adherence to his stated beliefs.
Dunbar revealed that he earned $100,000 per episode, even on occasions when his character was absent.
“It was like living a dream—a lottery win for me,” he remarked.
He also shared his post-termination struggles in finding new work.
“I’m drowning in debt. I’ve used up all my savings,” Dunbar lamented. “This has pushed me into a financial abyss that I might never escape.”
Nonetheless, he maintained he was following divine instructions not to receive the vaccine and remains steadfast in his beliefs.
“Take everything from me—my cars, my money. None of it matters if I maintain my integrity,” he expressed. “This is my spiritual journey, and I have succeeded.”
Dunbar confirmed he is “not an anti-vaccine person,” but mentioned that his children have not been vaccinated. He also posited that more individuals have died due to the vaccine than from COVID-19 and claimed the vaccine used aborted fetal cells and contained “disease.” Additionally, he asserted that six unidentified foreign substances were found under a microscope in the Pfizer vaccine.
Disney brought in Dr. Glenn Braunstein, who had offered pandemic-related consultancy to the company, to testify that no live viruses or fetal cells exist in any vaccines, countering Dunbar’s foreign object claims.
“That’s nonsense,” he dismissed. “It’s an absurd idea.”
Dunbar’s lawyer, Scott Street, contended that Dunbar’s decision to forgo his job demonstrates the sincerity of his beliefs, which are legitimate even if they fall outside typical doctrines.
“What truly counts is whether he remains authentic to himself and his convictions,” Street argued. “There are various beliefs—some reasonable, some not—what’s essential is one’s authenticity. It’s unjust for an employer to challenge those beliefs.”
During her closing argument, Rodriguez asserted that the company wasn’t positioned to “evaluate religion.” However, she raised questions about whether Dunbar was misrepresenting his sincere but non-religious objections to the vaccine as a religious stance.
She further contended that Dunbar did not actively engage with his employer to seek resolution on the matter, suggesting that clearer communication could have led to a more favorable outcome.
20th Television issued a statement expressing satisfaction with the verdict, which they believe confirms their fair treatment of Dunbar.
When approached for comments post-verdict, Dunbar stated, “God still prevailed today.”
