Image of NC Symphony is public domain via NC DNCR. Three former members of the North Carolina Symphony are suing their past employer to reinstate their jobs after being fired for refusing to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate because of their religious beliefs. Chris Caudill, Rachel Niketopoulos, and David Friedlander (also known as Dovid Friedlander) filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against the NC Symphony; the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR), which oversees the Symphony; and Sandi Macdonald, president and CEO of the symphony. In August 2021, the symphony instituted a COVID-19 vaccine mandate in order to return to work, but, according to Friedlander, as he stated on X (formerly Twitter) and Newsmax , their contract said an exemption based on medical and religious beliefs would be accepted as long as the required paperwork was submitted. He said he is Jewish, and the vaccine went against his religious beliefs. Caudill and Niketopoulos, who are married, are both Buddhist and have the same beliefs on the vaccine. The lawsuits also noted that the three also agreed to regular PCR testing, wearing masks, and social distancing as part of the protocol during the pandemic. The trio sent […]
