A BC Health Official’s EI Denial After Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine

Darold Sturgeon, a former health executive in British Columbia, was fired for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine due to his Christian beliefs. He lost his job in November 2021 and later applied for employment insurance (EI) benefits, but his claim was denied. The reason given was that he was fired for misconduct. Sturgeon believed this wasn’t fair and appealed to two levels of the Social Security Tribunal. When that failed, he took his case to the Federal Court.The judges reviewed his case and found that the tribunal’s role was to focus on employee conduct, not the reasons behind an employer’s policies or compliance with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. They stated that Sturgeon could have taken other steps, such as filing a wrongful dismissal suit or a labor grievance, or complaining to the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal. Sturgeon felt let down by the legal system, saying it was too expensive to hire a lawyer and he initially didn’t fully present his Charter challenge. Despite his sincere arguments, the court ruled against him based on existing case law. Sturgeon noted that other workers faced similar fates, including a single mom who lost her job and benefits. He expressed concern for those who couldn’t fight the system. Sturgeon said he was following his moral conscience as a Roman Catholic, citing the use of fetal cells in vaccine development as the reason for his refusal.