Three musicians sue NC Symphony after being fired for not complying with vaccine mandate

Three musicians are waging a legal battle Friday with their former employer, the North Carolina Symphony.

They filed a federal lawsuit over the symphony's 2021 Covid-19 vaccine mandate.

The lawsuit said the symphony allowed musicians to request exemptions, but all three were denied when they tried to get religious accommodation.

They were put on unpaid leave and eventually fired.

Now, the musicians are suing to get their jobs back.

The musicians are violinist Dovid Friedlander and French horn players Chris Caudill and Rachel Niketopoulos, a married couple. They all say they could not receive a COVID-19 vaccine without compromising their faith. Friedlander is Jewish, and Caudill and Niketopoulos are Buddhists.

"It's an honor to represent them, and my hope is that they will be back on stage at Meymandi Concert Hall playing Bach and Beethoven instead of dealing with courts and lawyers." James Lawerence, musicians attorney.

A statement from the North Carolina Symphony said:

"Since the pandemic began, our priority has been to protect the health and safety of our musicians and staff, consistent with federal and state health guidelines and informed by the policies of other symphonies. That approach led us to implement a vaccination requirement and, more recently, to revisit and lift that requirement. Our policies and actions have been consistent with applicable law, and we look forward to responding at the appropriate time in court."