EATTLE — A former Seattle 911 police communications supervisor has secured an $875,000 settlement from the City of Seattle following her termination over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Marina Shinderuk, a 14-year veteran of the Seattle Police Department, was terminated from her position in November 2021 after refusing to get the COVID vaccine – despite receiving a religious exemption from the city’s vaccine mandate.
“I’m just relieved that it’s over. It’s been a really long time, and I get to actually feel like I’m enjoying life again. And I’ve always said… it was not in pursuit of money. It was in pursuit of doing something to make a point,” Shinderuk told KOMO News.
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Shinderuk, who began her career as a tele-communicator and was promoted to police communications supervisor in 2019, considered herself a dedicated employee.
She alleged that the city enforced the vaccine mandate with zero tolerance, disregarding what she believed were her legally protected religious beliefs.
In August 2021, when the vaccine mandate was announced, Shinderuk applied for and received a religious exemption.
The city initially promised accommodations such as masks, distancing, and testing, which she agreed to, but later reneged, Shinderuk claimed
“I remember when it got approved at the end of September, I got this huge sense of relief, like, ‘Oh, okay, I don’t have to worry about it’. Thank God, you know, literally, because I’ve been praying about it a lot, and it was a big weight on me. So then only a couple weeks later, to be told, ‘Oh yeah, tomorrow’s your last day. ‘That’s it. It was just, it was surreal,” Shinderuk said.
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She volunteered multiple alternative arrangements to her employer, including relocation, remote work, and enhanced safety protocols, but was terminated five weeks after her exemption was granted.
She said she was told she was out of compliance with the COVID-19 mandate.
Shinderuk, a single mother of three, said the termination resulted in the loss of stability, pension, and healthcare.
She’s now living out of state and working as an Admission Coordinator for First Responder Wellness in Southern California, a comprehensive mental health focused treatment center that serves first responders.
“Here’s my biggest thing, it was a horrible thing that happened. The way it happened was horrible as well, but it truly made me realize that there’s some purpose or some reason to how it happened, and I’m glad. I’m glad where I am now,” said Shinderuk, “It shouldn’t have happened but the fact that it is being allowed to happen to me says the changes need to be made.”
Her attorney reportedly described the settlement as a “big win for the citizens of Washington state,” citing religious discrimination and failure to accommodate her religious beliefs as the basis for the settlement.
KOMO News contacted the city about the settlement, a spokesperson said the City Attorney’s Office declines to comment, but did confirm its office is currently handling other COVID-19 vaccine-related case complaints made by city employees, but were unable to cite how many.
https://komonews.com/news/local/covid-19-vaccine-mandate-seattle-police-911-supervisor-wins-settlement-lawsuit-coronavirus-government-legal-healthcare
