Firefighter Says He Lost Career Over Vaccine Refusal, Cites Religious Beliefs

A veteran firefighter from Washington state claims he lost his career after refusing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, citing religious objections. Scott Carlson, formerly a lieutenant with the Redmond Fire Department, is now appealing a December 2025 federal district court ruling that sided with the City of Redmond. His lawsuit alleges the city violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by failing to accommodate his religious beliefs and retaliating against him for seeking an exemption.

Carlson told Fox News Digital that he and his colleagues worked for 18 months on the front lines of the pandemic without any cross-contamination incidents before vaccine requirements were implemented. He stated that he applied for a religious exemption in 2021. According to Carlson, about ten days later, the mayor revoked the exemptions and terminated the firefighters.

Carlson filed a lawsuit against the City of Redmond on December 8, 2022. The lawsuit was later amended to include additional firefighters who received notices from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission granting them the right to sue. The firefighters' legal team is asking the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the lower court's ruling, which rejected their claims that the city failed to accommodate their religious beliefs and retaliated against them.

Their attorney, Cliff Martin of First Liberty Institute, alleges that the city had available positions that could have accommodated the firefighters but that this information was withheld. He claims these roles were then filled with vaccinated firefighters, leaving no positions for those with religious objections to the vaccine.

Carlson described firefighting as a calling and a primary way he served his community. He expressed the difficulty of losing his career due to his faith, stating, "I'm on team Jesus. But dang it, this is hard."

A spokesperson for the City of Redmond stated that the city does not comment on pending litigation and will address the matter through legal channels. The mayor's office echoed this sentiment.