HOUSTON, Tx. — A federal ruling in Houston could shed light on whether or not Kentucky businesses can require employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

What You Need To Know

  • A federal judge in Texas threw out a lawsuit filed by health care employees fighting required vaccinations at work

  • The ruling could have effects in Kentucky

  • Some employers and colleges are already requiring mandatory vaccinations

  • The Texas case gives insight on how others might proceed

A federal judge threw out a lawsuit filed by employees of a Houston hospital system, which required all its staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19. 

The Houston Methodist Hospital system suspended 178 employees without pay over their refusal to get vaccinated. 117 of them sued, seeking to overturn the requirement and their suspensions. On Saturday, a federal judge sided with the hospital system.

While this was in Houston, attorney Kevin Troutman with Fischer Phillips Law Firm, said it could impact other states as it was the first time a court has really addressed this question in the U.S.

“This is a federal judge dealing with federal law for the most part. The vaccines were issued under federal law, so even though the decisions in the district court in Houston are not binding in other courts, it’s still instructive and it’s certainly helpful for anybody who is looking at these questions,” Troutman said.

Some businesses in Kentucky, such as Hildegard House in Louisville, are requiring employees to get vaccinated. Troutman says, legally, they can do that. However, those employers have to offer exemptions for medical or religious objections.

It’s not just employers setting vaccination rules. Simmons College and Berea College in Kentucky have joined a growing list of higher education institutions nationwide that are requiring COVID-19 vaccines. 

Some colleges that Kentucky natives may attend in surrounding states are also requiring COVID-19 vaccines for the fall. 

  • Illinois: Columbia College, DePaul University, Lewis University, Loyola University Chicago, Northwestern University, Roosevelt University, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, University of Chicago

  • Indiana: DePauw University, Elmhurst University, Holy Cross College, Indiana University (Bloomington, Fort Wayne, Kokomo, South Bend, East, Northwest, IU-Purdue University Columbus, IU-Purdue University Indianapolis, Southeast. But this requirement does not require physical documentation), St. Mary’s College, University of Notre Dame, Valparaiso University

  • Missouri: Culver Stockton College, Saint Louis University, Washington University

  • Ohio: Cleveland State University, Kenyon College, Mt. St. Joseph University, Ohio Wesleyan University

  • Tennessee: Maryville College, Rhodes College (with FDA approval), Vanderbilt University

The Houston Methodist Hospital ruling focuses on COVID-19 requirements for employment, not educational institutions. However, Troutman said it could provide insight on how a court may rule should someone challenge those campus vaccination requirements.

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