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ABC Will Go To Trial Regarding 'General Hospital' Dismissals Linked To COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
The lawsuit, brought forth by James and Timothy Wahl, former crew members of General Hospital, alleges that they were terminated due to their religious beliefs opposing Covid vaccination.
ABC and Disney's attempt to dismiss the religious discrimination lawsuit against them has been unsuccessful. Now, they must proceed to trial, facing allegations from James Wahl and Tim Wahl, former crew members of General Hospital. The father-son duo accused the Disney division of discrimination based on their religious beliefs, which deterred them from getting vaccinated for Covid 19. This mandate, enforced by ABC for its cast and crew in 2021, led to the duo's termination for non-compliance. Here's what the Tuesday court ruling in their favor said;
ABC vs. The Wahls — Case Summary and Breakdown
In an order issued on February 20, a Los Angeles judge stated that the plaintiffs – James and Timothy Wahl may have “sincerely held” religious beliefs that ABC should have accommodated, especially when the duo were crew members, who followed the covid 19 protocols including wearing masks and social distancing from the regular cast members of the long-running show General Hospital.
The ruling noted that the network should have provided them with other options outside of receiving the Covid 19 jab, which was initially a mandate for the staff members as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. 
Despite ABC arguing that the Wahls’ objections to the vaccine policy weren't related to religious beliefs and thus shouldn't be protected by the California Constitution and the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), the court decided that the pair raised enough facts to make the case a “triable issue” and it will be left to the jury to decide if their beliefs were “genuine” or not.
The June 2022 lawsuit filed by the Wahls in Los Angeles Superior Court, states, “On November 9, 2021, ABC officially denied plaintiffs’ request for religious exemptions to the COVID Vaccine Mandate. It gave no reason for its decision except to say that the company was ‘unable to conclude that you are prevented from receiving the COVID vaccine due to a sincerely held religious practice or observance.”
A trial-setting conference is scheduled for March 11 in Downtown Los Angeles for this case.
ABC had also fired General Hospital stars Steve Burton and Ingo Rademacher for the same reason
Burton, who portrayed the character Jason Morgan in the medical drama, informed in an Instagram video in November 2021, “Unfortunately, General Hospital has let me go because of the vaccine mandate.”
The actor noted that he had applied for medical and religious exemptions but they were denied. “This is also about personal freedom to me. I don't think anybody should lose their livelihood over this,” Burton also said in the same Instagram video.
Additionally, Ingo Rademacher, who portrayed Jasper ‘Jax’ Jacks on General Hospital since 1996 was also let go by ABC in 2021 after he refused to get jabbed. The actor slapped the Disney-owned network with a lawsuit, accusing it of engaging in “blatantly unlawful” actions. He, however, lost the case.
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