BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Former City of Bellingham employees and contractors are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lawsuit challenging the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Mayor Seth Fleetwood issued an executive order in September 2021 requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for city employees, volunteers and contractors.

Seventeen city employees were fired for refusing to comply, six resigned and four others lost their jobs under a similar state vaccine requirement.

The plaintiffs argue workers were forced to choose between vaccination and their jobs and cite the federal PREP Act, which limits many lawsuits related to emergency medical countermeasures.

Both a federal district court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the case, finding the mandate was supported by existing legal precedent and public health considerations.

Attorneys for the city have waived their initial response unless requested by the Supreme Court, which has not yet decided whether to hear the case.