Preliminary Injunction Denied In Naperville Firefighter Suit

NAPERVILLE, IL — Six Naperville firefighters must continue to comply with a coronavirus vaccine and testing requirement after a judge denied a preliminary injunction in federal court Monday. Once the ruling is in writing, the decision can be appealed, Daily Herald reported.

The lawsuit was filed in September against Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the city of Naperville and Edward-Elmhurst Healthcare contending that a coronavirus vaccine and testing mandate for healthcare workers is unconstitutional. The suit was filed on behalf of John Halgren, John K. Stiegler, Gil Cortez, Chris Garon, Robert McCormick and Joel Fox.

Pritzker's Sept. 3 order mandated that health care workers get their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine by Sept. 19 and their second dose within 30 days of the first. A subsequent mandate issued by the City of Naperville outlines that Fire Department employees can be placed on unpaid administrative leave if they are not vaccinated and do not submit weekly proof of a negative coronavirus test.

As of Tuesday, the firefighters are still taking coronavirus tests each week as they continue to work for the Naperville Fire Department.

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