Texas Federal Judge Rejects Hospital Workers’ Challenge of COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement

HOUSTON — A Texas federal judge has shot down a lawsuit filed by 117 Houston Methodist Hospital workers challenging its decision to require COVID-19 vaccinations for its employees, rejecting their claims for wrongful termination.

In a June 12 order, Judge Lynn N. Hughes of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas noted state law only protects employees from being terminated for refusing to commit an illegal act, and plaintiffs failed to specify what illegal act they failed to perform.

“If a worker refuses an assignment, changed office, earlier start time, or other directive, he may be properly …