The US Navy on Wednesday settled a long-running lawsuit with SEALs and sailors who refused the COVID vaccine on religious grounds.

As a part of the agreement, the Navy will erase the record of sailors who declined to comply with the COVID mandate and protect the servicemembers' careers against discrimination on the promotion board.

The agreement also requires the Navy to pay $1.5M in attorney's fees and publish a public statement on its website about its acceptance of religious beliefs.

In 2021, then Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin mandated COVID jabs for servicemembers. However, a district judge in a class action suit quashed the Navy's ability to penalize servicemembers for refusing the mandate — the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ruling, while the US Supreme Court rejected it.

Although the mandate was lifted in 2023, the Fifth Circuit said the case could continue so that the district court could "evaluate the Navy's broader religious discrimination because of the mandate."

US Navy Settles COVID Vaccine Lawsuit with SEALs, Sailors

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US Navy Settles COVID Vaccine Lawsuit with SEALs, Sailors

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