A federal jury in Los Angeles has unanimously rejected claims made by "9-1-1" actor Rockmond Dunbar, who alleged he was unjustly fired from the show due to his deeply held religious convictions against receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. The eight-member jury found entirely in favor of Disney-owned 20th Television on Friday, delivering a significant blow to Dunbar's legal challenge.

Dunbar, who portrayed the character Michael Grant, had his role written out of the popular series in 2021 after the production company implemented a mandatory vaccine policy for its cast and crew. In 2022, he filed a lawsuit against the company, asserting that they failed to accommodate his adherence to the tenets of the Congregation of Universal Wisdom, which, according to him, opposes vaccines and other medical interventions.

During the four-day trial, Dunbar testified passionately about his belief that the COVID-19 vaccine was harmful and conflicted with God’s teachings. He famously stated, "Man created the COVID-19 vaccine to separate you from God. This is a spiritual war. This is a war of evil against good. I stood on the side of good. I stood on the side of God. I stood on the shoulders of God." He also claimed he was not an "anti-vaxxer" but admitted his children were unvaccinated, and he believed the vaccine had caused more deaths than COVID-19, contained aborted fetal cells, "disease," and unidentified foreign objects.

Conversely, Disney's legal team, led by Maria Rodriguez of McDermott Will & Schulte, presented arguments challenging Dunbar's credibility. Rodriguez highlighted Dunbar's routine use of synthetic testosterone and anastrozole, medications that the leader of his declared Congregation of Universal Wisdom deemed "sacrilegious." During cross-examination, Dunbar acknowledged he was "not perfect." Rodriguez further underscored this point by listing 37 medications Dunbar had taken, asserting, "This is way far from perfect. This isn’t even close." Expert witness Dr. Glenn Braunstein, a consultant for Disney during the pandemic, refuted Dunbar's claims about vaccines containing live disease, fetal cells, or unidentified foreign objects, dismissing them as "hogwash" and a "ridiculous concept."

Dunbar testified to the severe financial repercussions of his termination, stating he was earning $100,000 per episode, calling it a "dream job" and "like winning the lottery." He claimed to be "underwater" financially, having spent his entire retirement, and believed he would "never be able to get out of" the financial hole. Despite this, he maintained his stance, asserting he acted on God's instruction, stating, "Take my cars, my money — I don’t care. You have to leave here with your soul intact. This is my spiritual test and I passed."

Scott Street, Dunbar’s attorney, argued that his client’s willingness to sacrifice his lucrative career underscored the genuine nature of his religious beliefs, regardless of whether they aligned with mainstream views. Street contended, "What matters is whether he is true to himself and true to his belief... It’s not up to your employer to question your belief." Rodriguez countered in her closing argument, stating the company was not there to "judge religion," but questioned if Dunbar was presenting a sincere, non-religious opposition to the vaccine as a religious belief. She also suggested Dunbar failed to engage adequately in an interactive process with his employer to find a suitable accommodation.

Upon the verdict, a visibly distressed Dunbar put his head in his hands, shouting, "Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!" before turning to his family with apologies. Outside the court, he declared, "God still won today." 20th Television released a statement expressing satisfaction with the outcome: "We are pleased with today’s verdict, which affirms that 20th Television acted fairly and lawfully toward Mr. Dunbar."