A jury on Friday rejected “9-1-1” actor Rockmond Dunbar’s claim that he was fired from the show because of his religious beliefs about coronavirus vaccinations.
An eight-person federal jury unanimously sided with Disney-owned 20th Television. When the verdict was read, Dunbar held his head in his hands.
“Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!” he shouted, then turned to his wife and children, who were sitting in the gallery. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. We’ll be okay.”
Dunbar sued the company in 2022, claiming the work did not meet his belief in the doctrine of the Ministry of Universal Wisdom, which disallows vaccines and other medical interventions.
Dunbar’s character, Michael Grant, was removed from the show in 2021 after the company mandated vaccinations for actors and staff on set. During a four-day trial in Los Angeles, Dunbar testified about his belief that coronavirus vaccines are harmful and contrary to God’s teachings.
“Man created the coronavirus vaccine to separate you from God,” he said. “This is a spiritual war. This is a war of evil against good. I was on the side of good. I was on the side of God. I was standing on the shoulders of God.”
Disney’s lawyers, led by Maria Rodriguez of McDermott, Will & Schulte, argued that Mr. Dunbar lacked credibility. She noted that Dunbar routinely takes synthetic testosterone and anastrozole, which the Universal Wisdom leader called “blasphemous.”
Dunbar admitted on the stand that he is not “perfect.” During closing arguments, Rodriguez scrolled through a list of 37 medications Dunbar had taken.
“This is far from perfect,” she said. “This isn’t even close.”
Dunbar testified that he earned $100,000 per episode and was paid even for episodes in which his character did not appear.
“It was a dream job,” he said. “It was like winning the lottery.”
Mr. Dunbar testified that he has struggled to find work since being laid off.
“I’m in the water. I’ve spent all my retirement,” he said. “This has pushed my life into a financial corner that I will never be able to get out of.”
But he stands behind the idea, saying he was acting on God’s instructions not to take the vaccine.
“Take my car, my money. I don’t care. You have to leave here without hurting your soul,” he said. “This is my spiritual test, and I passed it.”
Dunbar said she is “not an anti-vaxxer” but testified that her children have not been vaccinated.
He told the jury he believed the vaccine had killed more people than COVID-19, saying it was made from aborted fetal cells and contained “the disease.” He also testified that six foreign substances that could not be seen under a microscope were found in the Pfizer vaccine.
Disney’s lawyers called Dr. Glenn Brownstein, who served as the company’s general counsel during the pandemic, to testify that none of the vaccines contain live disease or fetal cells. He was also asked about the claim that foreign objects can be seen under a microscope.
“Hogwash,” he said. “That’s a ridiculous concept.”
Dunbar’s lawyer, Scott Street, argued that Dunbar’s willingness to sacrifice his job confirms the sincerity of his religious views, which Dunbar said are as real as they are outside the mainstream.
“What matters is whether he’s true to himself and his beliefs,” Street said. “It doesn’t have to be right. There are many right, wrong, and outlandish beliefs. Who cares? What matters is whether you believe in them or not. It’s not the employer’s responsibility to question your beliefs.”
In closing arguments, Rodriguez said the company does not exist to “judge religion.” But she questioned whether Mr. Dunbar was trying to disguise his sincere secular opposition to vaccines as a religious belief.
She also claimed that Dunbar failed to engage in an interactive process with her employer to address the issue, suggesting that the situation could have been resolved more favorably had Dunbar communicated better.
20th Television said in a statement: “We are pleased with today’s ruling, which confirms that 20th Television acted fairly and lawfully towards Mr. Dunbar.”
Asked for comment outside the courtroom, Dunbar said, “God won again today.”
