By Morgan Miles, Staff Writer
Deters Law Firm filed class action lawsuits against six major hospitals in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky on Aug. 23, but the lawsuits were rescinded this Monday.
Deters Law Firm spokesman Eric Deters, who is disbarred in Kentucky and Ohio as well as banned from the Hamilton County Courtroom, says he will refile the lawsuits.
The lawsuits were filed in reaction to recent announcements that COVID-19 vaccinations will be required for hospital staff — a mandate likely to take effect Oct. 1 for some hospitals and later for others.
University of Cincinnati (UC) Health, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the Christ Hospital Health Network, Bon Secours Mercy Health, TriHealth and St. Elizabeth Healthcare are the hospitals currently facing lawsuits.
The first five lawsuits have been filed with the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, while the sixth — against St. Elizabeth Healthcare — was filed in Boone County.
The lead plaintiff alleges that the vaccine mandates are illegal because they infringe on an employee’s liberties: specifically, the liberty “to protect their bodily integrity.”
Front-line nurses, security guards and health care technicians are some of the many staff members involved as plaintiffs for the lawsuits.
Company-wide vaccine mandates have caused fired or resigned employees to seek to file lawsuits as part of the growing opposition against requiring the COVID-19 vaccination.
The lawsuit also accuses hospital groups of criminal activities, including civil conspiracy and fraud. Namely, the suit cites falsified COVID-19 data, deaths of patients and the effects of the vaccine as instances of the hospital groups’ alleged fraud.
The legal action seeks a declaratory judgement, which states that each hospital group’s mandate breaks the law.
After putting forward the declaratory judgement, plaintiffs may seek a jury trial, class action status and prevention of taking action against employees who refuse adherence to the mandate.
Around 127 plaintiffs involved are also employees of the hospital groups and are being represented by Deters Law Firm.
Deters is a strong advocate of opposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Deters has stated he believes there is “no COVID crisis at all.”
“We have reached a point where Americans must choose between taking a dangerous and unknown vaccine or lose not just their jobs, but their lifelong careers,” Deters said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found COVID-19 vaccines to be safe and supported by clinical trials that meet the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) quality requirements for the vaccine.
The lawsuits filed last Monday occurred on the same day that the FDA approved the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 years of age and older.
Amanda Nageleisen, a spokeswoman for UC Health, Greater Cincinnati’s academic health system, explained her support of vaccine mandates.
“Science has demonstrated that COVID-19 vaccinations have proven to be safe and effective. Overwhelmingly, they protect people from hospitalization, ICU-level care and death,” Negeleisen said.
Laila Sappington, a sophomore biomedical sciences major, expressed her support for mandating vaccines as well.
“Mandating the vaccine will significantly lower the risk of getting COVID-19. If you want to go visit grandma in the nursing home, get vaccinated. They don’t want you out there killing off the entire nursing home,” Sappington said.
An anonymous student spoke out against the mandate, arguing that mandates are not the best way to provide vaccines to the public.
“I think everything should be up to the personal choice. People have their own fears about it and when it’s being shoved down their throats… the fears come out even more,” the student said.