BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A lawsuit filed by two former Bellingham Police officers against the city and dept has been dismissed.

Court documents state that the lawsuit was initially filed in 2022 by former officers Michael Scanlon and Jonathan Weiss.

The pair had been approved for a religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine, which had been mandated at the time by Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood. But BPD said that they were unable to make reasonable accommodations for them, and both officers were fired in 2021.

Whatcom County Superior Court Judge Lee Grochmal ruled in favor of the city and BPD during a summary judgement hearing on Monday, Mach 23. City attorneys argued that reasonable accommodations weren’t possible for the officers because of how often they are expected to interact with the public.

Judge Grochmal agreed, and dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning it can’t be filed again.