On Monday, we reported that 9-1-1 actor Rockmond Dunbar and his lawsuit, which alleged that Disney firing him for refusing a COVID-19 vaccination was tantamount to religious discrimination, would have his day in court. Well, that day has already come and gone, and it did not shake out in Dunbar’s favor. Per Deadline, a Los Angeles jury unanimously sided with the studio yesterday. Dunbar was in the courtroom when the verdict was read, and was, in the words of the trade, “[s]eemingly shocked by the outcome.”
The trial lasted three days, during which lawyers for Disney successfully convinced jurors that Dunbar’s beliefs were insincere. Dunbar is a member of the Congregation of Universal Wisdom, which is most known for tenets that forbid medication. The actor’s medical records betrayed him, however, demonstrating that Dunbar actually has received medical treatment since joining the church, which was founded by chiropractor Walter P. Schilling and can be joined for about $138.
“We are pleased with today’s verdict, which affirms that 20th Television acted fairly and lawfully toward Mr. Dunbar,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement to Deadline. Dunbar appeared in season 1 until early season 5 of 9-1-1 as Michael Grant, ex-husband to Angela Bassett’s character Athena Grant. The character was abruptly written off early in 2021 during season 5, when Michael proposed to his boyfriend and traveled with him to help with hurricane relief in Haiti, where he has apparently been ever since. Behind the scenes, Disney has implemented mandatory vaccination requirements for all actors, and Dunbar refused to comply. The actor filed his lawsuit the following year.
