A D.C. judge ruled Thursday that a COVID-19 vaccine mandate imposed by Mayor Muriel Bowser is unlawful, siding with a police union that challenged the rules as unfair and damaging to recruitment.
Superior Court Judge Maurice A. Ross said Ms. Bowser, a Democrat, lacked statutory authority to impose the requirement.
“It is undisputed that the mayor has a strong interest in combating the spread of COVID-19,” the order reads. “However, our system does not permit the mayor to act unlawfully even in the pursuit of desirable ends.”
The order says the mayor is permanently enjoined from imposing the mandate and that punished union members must be reimbursed for “any loss of benefits, pay, or rights and all related disciplinary proceedings to be expunged from their records.