Oregon state troopers of the Fraternal Order of Police, nine Oregon State Police and the Kinglsey Firefighters Association have filed a lawsuit against Oregon Governor Kate Brown after she signed an order that imposes state’s vaccine mandate over their members, The Hill reports.
The lawsuit filed in the Jefferson County court demands that the court blocks the executive order Democrat Gov. Brown signed on August 13 requires executive branch employees to prove they’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID by October 18.
Those who fail to comply with the directive would face ‘personnel consequences up to and including separation from employment’ and the lawsuit underlines that troopers and firefighters are forced to choose between their rights, privileges and liberties as citizens on the one hand and their employment, careers and financial futures on the other.
State troopers and firefighters argue Brown’s executive order is unenforceable because it conflicts with Oregon statutes, the Oregon Constitution’s guarantee of free expression and with the US Constitution guarantee of equal protection, free exercise and due process and warn it’ll result in a common law wrongful discharge of the plaintiffs.
They allege that state law prohibits employers from imposing vaccine mandates to workers as a condition of employment unless required by federal or state law, stressing that it’s unconscionable and wrong to forcing them to decide between their livelihoods and vindicating their statutory and constitutional rights.
Brown’s spokesperson argued that vaccine mandates are critical to protect state workers and members of the public who use state services and claimed that Brown’s executive order is an attempt to respond to the public health crisis.
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